Full Moon Setting, Dog Star Rising
by Aquila Corax
Summary: A story of how Remus & Sirius met and how Remus fell for Sirius. Can Sirius return the feelings? What if they aren't the only ones who have something to hide? Follows them through Hogwarts. SBRL
1. Chapter 1

welcome readers to my first rem/siri fic. hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Ny, Ravyn, and the handfull of other random characters.

Warning: this is a yaoi fic meaning that there will be Remus/Sirius. btw **this is the only chapter where Ny will be a prominent character**. For the rest she will merely melt into the back round. now be on your way and read!

Chapter 1

Remus felt the droplets pounding his back. He could feel every one of them individually striking his neck. He shook his hair trying to get the water out of it and failing. He sighed and turned back to get the trunk his father was handing him. His mother had rushed in to get a trolley. Remus finally pulled all of things under the shelter of King's Cross when he saw his mother coming towards him with the trolley. Selene smiled as saw her son trying to dry his hair. "It was one of the last ones there," she said.

"Thank goodness," Aaron Lupin stated with a sigh. They helped Remus load his things on the trolley.

"Now remember," Aaron whispered in his son's ear, "Just calmly walk through the barrier and make sure no muggles are looking too closely." Remus nodded staring straightforward.

"Shall I go first?" he heard his mother ask. She spoke normally. He wished she wouldn't speak so loudly. It was not relaxing in this situation. Having been isolated for so long in his house he was especially tense now. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to the count of 10. He felt himself run into something soft yet hard. He opened his eyes startled. Remus looked up into the warm brown eyes of a very tall man.

"Sorry about that," Remus muttered under his breath. "It's alright," the man replied and went back to talking to someone in what sounded like Russian.

Remus came to the wall of bricks that was the entrance to Platform 9¾. He saw his mother walk ahead of him and watched her disappear. "Go ahead," he heard his father say in his ear. Remus swallowed and walked forward and saw the Hogwarts Express waiting to have the students board and leave. He was in a bit of awe being the first time seeing this train. He turned around hugged his mother and father goodbye and dragged his stuff to the waiting train.

He heard the whistle blow and the rushing sounds of students getting on as he started down the compartments. The first three cars had no place for him. _No place for a werewolf, _he thought bitterly. In the 4th car he finally found a near empty compartment.

There was only one occupant, a wavy brown haired girl. "May I sit in here?" he asked. She looked up at him with a pair of green eyes. She smiled and nodded. He hauled all of his stuff into the compartment and stored it in the rack.

"Hello, my name is Nyceta Chrysaetos," Nyceta said extending her hand with a smile. Remus smiled back and shook her hand.

"Remus Lupin, nice to meet you." _Chrysaetos. _He thought,_ Where have I heard that name before? _

She tilted her head, "Looks like you just got out of a pool with your clothes on. Here, dry yourself off." She went into her bag and brought out a towel and handed it to Remus. Her took it and she went beck to drying her own hair. He gently dabbed his face first then went to his honey brown locks. "Do you live around London?" Nyceta asked him. Remus thought for a second.

"I live near the west side, on the out skirts. I live in a mostly forestry area. What about you?" He looked up at her to see her staring out the window at the shrinking station.

"I live near the northern end of the city, but my father owns a house in Russia. That's where he's from. I think you bumped into him in the station," she laughed lightly.

The sound reminded him a bit of the owls in Diagon Alley. He had wanted to have an owl, but his parents didn't want to get him one when he could just use a school owl. He had really wanted the handsome Great Grey. Very quiet bird, but Remus could see the power in the bird's amber eyes. Kind of reminded Remus of himself and the powerful beast within.

A loud screech shook him out of his thoughts. "Oh I'm sorry Dic!" Nyceta exclaimed and took the snowy owl out of the cage. "I forgot to dry you off," she cooed as she stroked a black towel over Dic's pure white feathers. The contrast was startling.

The towel also brought to light the ring on her finger. It was silver with engravings all around a smooth emerald gem. That through him off for a sec. _Why didn't it burn me when I shook her hand? The silver should've burned me. I could've sworn I felt it. _His mind was reeling. He was slowly brought out his thoughts with soft singing. He looked up and saw Nyceta singing a gentle melody to her owl. Dic looked nearly asleep. He must've been decently dried off because Nyceta placed him on a rail in the compartment. "What is that ring for, Nyceta?" Remus asked, his curiosity getting to him.

"Oh, this," Nyceta said looking down at it. "This was my mother's. My father gave it to her as an engagement ring. He says he got it in Russia from a friend. My mutti gave it to me just before she died. Now it's just my sister and my father at home. He home schools her for now. He's hoping she can come to Hogwarts."

"Well if I can she must be able to," Remus whispered to himself.

"What did you say?"

Remus shook his head, "Nothing, Nyceta."

She looked at him and smiled sadly, "Just call me Ny, Remus." He looked up smiled and nodded. She had asked him to call her by a nickname. This was definitely a step forward in his social life, which had been practically nonexistent for most of his time. They spent the next hour sharing each other's pasts. He learned that her sister was named Alba and was two years younger than Ny. He also figured out why the name Chrysaetos had rung a bell, her father was a fairly well known wine maker and he was a pureblood, which got him very 'powerful' clientele.

He told her pretty much all of his life leaving out the fact that he wasn't totally human.

They started talking about what they thought Hogwarts was going to be like when their compartment door was thrown open and two dark haired boys rushed in.

"Don't mind us, just hiding from the fury of a demon." One of the boys said hurriedly as he tried to hide in the trolley rack. The other saw that there wasn't room and crouched down on the floor next to Remus' feet. He and Ny looked down slightly curious as to who the intruders were. Ny stood up wanting to get a better look at the longhaired boy on the floor when the door was thrown open a second time in less than a minute. A red head stood at the entrance breathing heavily. Ny looked her calmly in the eye.

"Can I help you?" She asked steadily.

"Have you seen two boys run down this corridor?" Ny put a finger to her chin and pretended like she was actually trying to remember.

"No, can't say that I have." Remus was amazed at her acting skills. "I've just been talking to Remus here and we didn't see anybody." Remus nodded his head unable to say anything while he saw the care she took to make sure the boy on the floor was hidden from view.

"Well, if you see them tell them that Lily Evans is going to kill them." She turned her back and retraced her steps down the corridor.

"Is she gone?" asked the boy in the rack. Ny turned around the look at the boy in the eye.

"Yes she is. Now why in bloody hell would she be looking for you two?" She shifted her gaze to the boy on the floor that was standing up.

"Beats me all we did was charm her cat to sing like a banshee while hopping with her paws in cute little socks. She can be crazy about her pets I swear. Isn't that right James?"

"Bleedin' mental is more like it. I'm James Potter by the way, and this is Sirius Black."

"Nyceta Chrysaetos, not really all that nice to meet either of you."

"Oh, well. We Blacks were never very pleasant people any ways," Sirius said as he plopped himself down on the seat next to Remus. "I guess we'll just have to stay here until we get to the school. Get the trunks James m'boy."

James took out his wand pulled back his sleeves very dramatically then said, "Accio trunks." They heard a loud banging coming down the corridor from the front of the car then there was the sound of the trunks hitting the door, like dogs begging to be let in. Nyceta opened the door and they rushed in and lay at James' feet. He placed them in the rack and sat down in the empty seat next to Nyceta.

"Ugh, I hate when my hair gets all wet. Now it's going to frizz up and it's gonna look like I have an afro. Not what I need," Sirius stated disgustedly as he pulled a lock of his hair forward to study it. The other occupants had no warning as to the action Sirius would take to dry his hair. They were soon berated with a flurry of water droplets as Sirius shook his head forcefully. The shout, "Sirius stop it!" was heard from a very startled James.

Sirius kept at it until a pair of talons were sunk into his head. He yelped and pulled the offending creature off of him and threw it away from himself. A very ruffled Dic landed in Nyceta's lap and screeched at Sirius. "Bloody hell what's wrong with that thing!" Sirius exclaimed checking the damage done to his precious head.

"Well, he was sleeping, he had just gotten dried off, and he hates water. You should know better than to annoy a sleeping bird." Nyceta explained as Sirius was still fruitlessly trying to access the ruin of his scalp. "Oh, for Merlin's sake come here," Nyceta ordered and he obliged switching seats with James. "Come on, you wuss. Dic didn't even break the skin. Absolutely no damage whatsoever, you vain dummkopf." Sirius looked at her curiously. "A dummkopf is basically an idiot," she answered his unasked question.

The rest of the trip went fairly uneventful until the time came to change into their robes. "We're not going to change in the corridor! That's not right!" James exclaimed.

"Yeah! There's no way I'm showing this perfect temple to the student body!" Sirius added.

"You don't need to bleeding change in the corridor! Just wait 'til we're done!" Ny yelled back.

"How come Remus gets to stay in there and we don't?" Sirius whined.

"Cause he's not an annoying knabe! Now get out!" Ny shouted as she pushed them out of the compartment and locked the door. "Jerks," she muttered under her breath as she unfolded her robes. Remus took off his sweatshirt and laid it on the seat. When he put on his robes he turned around and saw Ny closing the door with James and Sirius inside. They were already taking off their outer layers by the time Remus made to open the door.

"Don't!" Sirius said just noticing that Remus was about to open the door. Sirius stopped him by grabbing his hand and removing it from the handle.

"Why? Do you really not mind me being here?" Remus asked. "We don't give a dragon's tail if you're here or not," James answered over his shoulder as he buttoned up his robe.

"Then why did you both get so upset when Ny kicked you out?" Remus questioned tilting his head to the side.

"Because we like to be difficult. And it was funny to see her pissed off like that," Sirius responded stuffing his clothes unceremoniously into his trunk. As he straightened up Nyceta opened the door and walked inside.

They all sat down and James chose that moment to start up a conversation. "So…… What house do you all think you're going to get into?"

"Damned Slytherin." Sirius responded flatly staring out the window at the rain still coming down heavily.

"Don't look so optimistic, Black." Nyceta said, her voice humming with sarcasm. He turned to look at her fiercely.

"Don't talk to me like I have a choice. I'm a _Black_. We always get into _Slytherin_. I'm going against almost two centuries of Black blood if I even dare to hope to get into another house. Who are you to talk to me like that when you don't even know me. Or my family."

"But you still have a choice," Remus spoke up timidly looking down at his hands. Sirius turned to look at him, still fuming. Remus continued, "Just because you have their last name and pure blood running in your veins, doesn't mean your future is already mapped out for you. Who says you don't have a choice?"

"Lupin, you apparently have never had a family like mine. The minute I'm born I'm being bred to be a proud pureblood looking down on those who do not meet my expectations. To be cruel and torturing all those that deify me. 'Who says I don't have a choice?' My parents." Sirius spit out vehemently.

"Yes… but who is the fool that believes them?" Remus asked innocently and calm. "You dare call a Black a fool? You would be killed if any of my line learned what you just called me."

"Yes I do dare. Who says you're above any of us? Above an insult? Do you really believe all that your parents have told you about the world?"

All of the anger left Sirius when he heard that._ Do I really believe them? Have I ever? _He already knew the answer. The defiant voice had always been shifting just beneath his conscious thoughts, now this boy had finally made him listen. "No." He voiced. "No I don't believe them."

When the train stopped in Hogmeade Station there was a half-hearted rush to get out. The heavy rain had lightened to a drizzle but one would still get wet I f they ventured out into it. The three boys made their out into the crowded corridor. Ny stepped out soon after getting in front of another girl.

James was just about to get off when, due to the rain and wind, the boy behind him slipped and fell, pushing James face first into the mud. Sirius broke out into loud laughter drawing even more attention to James and the boy desperately trying to get off James and gather his own things.

"Oh for the love of God," the girl behind Ny muttered. "Scorgify." She said pointing her wand at James whose robes went instantly clean. She then walked away toward the boats and a large man calling to all of the first years. They all started heading that way and got into the little boats. Sirius, Remus, James, and, to James' disgust, the boy who had knocked into him. Once everyone was in a boat they started off across the water.

When they finally reached the small chamber beneath the school and on the water they all got out. The three boys could hardly have a conversation due to all the twittering around them. They were all quieted when they saw a strict looking woman enter.

"You will all follow me." And they did. They finally stopped again in front of two large wooden doors. "Now, my first years, I welcome you to Hogwarts." She pushed them open and a great applause was heard as all heads inside turned toward the entering students. The all stopped in a single file line as the student body was quieted and the woman took out a hat and lay it on a three-legged stool. I rip near the bottom opened and it began to sing.

"_Welcome students_

_To a new year_

_Filled with headaches laughter_

_And tears_

_Perhaps you shall go to Gryffindor_

_Bravest of all_

_First to sing and take up arms_

_After hearing the call_

_Maybe to dear old Hufflepuff_

_You shall go_

_Caring most of loyalty_

_It will be so_

_Or perhaps to wisest Ravenclaw_

_Treating knowledge with highest care_

_Then you will roost_

_With masters of the air_

_But never forget cunning Slytherin_

_Always plotting plans_

_Always keeping a sharp eye_

_For additions to his clan_

_So don't be scared_

_And walk right up_

_And put me on_

_You nervous pup_

_I'll look into you mind_

_Don't put up a fight_

_I'll place you well_

_And I won't bite"_

The song was well received as the tables clapped loudly. When everything was back and settled down again, the woman took about a roll of parchment and began reading off the names. After two students were ruled into Hufflepuff and one to Gryffindor. A name rang across the hall getting applause from the farthest table to the right.

"Black, Sirius." He stepped forward carefully checking his reactions to the Slytherins. He placed the hat upon his head.

_Ah, another Black. How many have I sorted now? _

_**I'm not another Black, my name is Sirius. **_

_So then Sirius where would you like to go? _

This was a strange phenomenon. Whispers were heard throughout the hall. No one expected it this long to sort a Black. Just last year when Narcissa had been sorted the hat had just been brushing the top of her head when he shouted 'Slytherin'. How was this Black any different.

Just when Professor McGonagall decided to say something the hall was silenced with a shout of "Gryffindor!" No one dared to move. It was perfectly quiet as Sirius took the hat off, set it gently on its stool, walked over to the Gryffindor table, and sat down.

Finally, a shout of "Go Sirius!" and enthusiastic clapping from James broke the silence. A few Gryffindors were the first clap then soon their whole table and a few people from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw clapped too. Most of the first years joined in, as they were yet to be biased from the sorting. The only ones in shock or too angry to clap were the Slytherins. Narcissa had a grimace as though something of great disgust was beneath her nose.

When all had settled down again the next student was called up and also placed in Gryffindor. Then Professor McGonagall called for, "Chrysaetos, Nyceta." Ny walked calmly up and gently placed the old hat on her head. After a total of four seconds the hat yelled out "Ravenclaw!"

The second table to the right burst into applause and she walked over and sat her self near the end of the table closest to the teachers. "Corvus, Ravyn." A girl who most definitely looked suited for Slytherin stepped froward and roughly placed the hat upon her head. There was a short pause until "Ravenclaw!" She stood stiffly and removed the hat as if it were defiling her head and put it back on the stool before walking over and sitting next to Ny.

Remus waited anxiously for his name to be called. Finally it was. Remus walked forward slightly nervous. Two hundred and thirty six butterflies broke from their cocoons and took flight in his stomach.

When he sat down the motion awoke eleven serpents, who soon went after the butterflies. Remus felt like throwing up, but he didn't. He held it in and focused on the hat's voice in his ear.

_Welcome to Hogwarts Remus Lupin. _

_**Hello…Sorting Hat.** _

_I see a great deprivation of knowledge in you, and a great depth of wisdom. You seem almost perfect for Ravenclaw, but what is this strange presence in your mind Mr. Lupin? _

_**That would most likely be the wolf, sir. **_

_Well, this being is apparently refusing to go to Ravenclaw. Perhaps he has already found a pack. What say you Mr. Lupin? _

Remus yanked off the hat quickly off of his head just as the hat shouted "Gryffindor!" He set it down and walked slightly shaken to sit by Sirius. He swung an arm over Remus' shoulder. "Congratulations Remus! Welcome to Gryffindor Table! You will be eating here three times a day for the next nine months. Please keep all elbows of the wood and refrain from throwing up!" Remus laughed gratefully at Sirius' joke. It relieved him and put the hat's last words to the back of his mind, where he prayed they would stay.

The two stayed quiet until James joined them and smiled happily. He sat opposite Remus and Sirius next to Peter Pettigrew, the boy who ran into James on the train. They all looked up as one of the first years were sorted.

Sirius had a look of disgust as the name "Snape, Severus" was called. James leaned over and asked Sirius looked so pissed. "Because," he began, "That slimy git is pure inbred Slytherin and a total prick whenever we met in my childhood." James looked back at the boy who had just gotten named a Slytherin by the hat and was gliding over to them. He bore Sirius' look. Any foe of Sirius' was a foe of his.

As the last student's were sorted Snape finally sensed someone staring at him. He looked to see two Gryffindor boys glaring death to him. He glared right back. More at Black than the boy sitting next to him. Snape worked back in his memory trying to remember that boy's name. _Potter. _It came to him._ James Potter._

Dumbledore stood to a hushed hall. "I have a few announcements to make so I beg that you would try to pay attention, if you feel that the aches of your stomachs or that certain others in your house are too great a distration please go ahead and focus on that. Now, I would like to remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is, obviously, forbidden. Also, there is a new addition to our grounds. A beautiful Whomping Willow, please do try and avoid going near it as it is properly named and will beat you to the point that you will not be recognizable. And finally, there is to be no magic in the hallways. Now, dig in!"

Suddenly the dishes filled with food and there was a mad scramble at every table for people's favorite dishes. Time flew by until dinner and dessert were over and no one wanted anything other than a nice soft warm bed. Dumbledore stood up again. "Now everyone off to bed, and first years, follow your prefects."

There was a great scraping of chairs as everyone stood up and hurried off to find their dormitories. "Gryffindor first years, please follow me!" A boy with chocolate brown hair and blue eyes shouted. He along with another prefect began leading the first years out of the hall and in to the main entrance then off to one of the many staircases.

Remus was so tired he was surprised to find that he got all the way to the portrait hole without tipping, falling, going unconscious, or getting lost.

Finally when everyone got in he followed James up to the boys' dormitories and to their room. Remus was now faced with a dilemma. Where should he sleep?

Two of the beds were right next to the window and two were farther away. Remus didn't want to make any choices that might lead to his friends' discovery of his secret. His decision was made for him.

Peter went for the bed farthest away mumbling something about Winsle Pixies that can walk through glass and attack you.

Sirius chose the bed closest to one of the windows saying ho w he liked to look at his star.

James chose the bed second farthest from the muttering something about a fear of heights.

Remus sighed and fell onto his bed with out even changing. He felt the near full moon's light on him and that combined with his full stomach and exhaustion made it not even the calls of his friend's could rouse him. _What a great way to start off the new school year._ Was his last thought before he fell into a deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Ny, Ravyn, and the handfull of other random characters. 

Warning: this is a yaoi fic meaning that there will be Remus/Sirius.Now be on your way and read!

Chapter 2

The sunlight shown into the room and made Remus' eyelids glow red. He finally sat up and looked at the room in slightly better light. Someone had halfway pulled the curtains on either side of him leaving the ones at the foot of his bed open.

He slowly got up. Stretching, he got a better look at the room. He retrieved a change of clothes from his trunk and strode over to the bathroom and walked in.

The wall on his left was actually four shower stalls, one stall with a toilet and two urinals. The right wall was a very long counter with four sinks and a large mirror stretching the entire length of the room.

After showering and changing Remus walked out and dressed in his school robes that rested just above the hard wood floor. He looked around at the three other sleeping boys around him. Each one had his own scent and Remus wanted to remember each of them.

He walked over to James first. He inhaled deeply. He smelled fresh cut green grass, dry hay, and the clean smell after it has rained. Remus exhaled and cleared his nose of James' scent.

He crossed the room toward Peter then hovered his head a couple of feet over Peter's the breathed in deeply again. Remus saw a candy shop, sugar cane, and hot chocolate in his mind's eye. He gently shook his head to clear it of the feeling that he was a little sick.

He finally turned to look at the last boy asleep. He softly sauntered over to Sirius and bent slightly over the dark haired child. He breathed in slowly and calmly as though savoring the smell. His scent was so strange compared to the others. It was a mix of unnamable things. Remus opened his eyes and stood up straight. He was looking at the odd human enigma before him, gently mulling his scent over in his mind. The best he could describe, if ice, desire, and silver ever had an odor it would be Sirius.

Still contemplating this Remus walked down to breakfast.

Upon entering the Great Hall Remus felt drastically different. The first time, he was so nervous the room was spinning slightly. Now, he felt calm and excited. He strolled over to the Gryffindor Table and looked around.

He wasn't alone. There was one Slytherin boy looking very upset and there were two Ravenclaws pouring over what looked like a map, a book, and a couple pieces of parchment. As he sat down he finally recognized the Ravenclaws. One was Ny and the other was the girl that sat next to her after the Sorting.

Remus looked down and saw a piece of rolled up parchment on his empty plate. He lifted it and unrolled it. He glanced over it and saw it was his schedule for the year. As today, September 1st, was a Wednesday it would be a forgiving three-day week. He was very thankful, as his transformation was on Saturday. That meant that he had to get all of his homework done Friday night. Remus sighed and began serving himself some oatmeal and toast.

"See, look at this. If we angle this way, we avoid head on winds and still get proper lift. It's the same as sailing."

"I don't care how much you sail. We can't go at a forty five-degree angle and cover enough distance _and_ get back in time. I know that there is no way we can head straight into the wind, especially if it's just us. We need to head shaper, more like ten degrees off wind."

Remus didn't look up from his food. He didn't want those talking to know that he was listening. His wolf hearing was being put to some use at least.

"If we can, we should stay under the trees. Twenty feet should do it. The lower the better."

"Not necessarily. At twenty feet we'll be dodging a great lot of branches. There is a point at which the trees don't bother to grow branches. That's where we should aim. Then of course we have to worry about wild life. But that shouldn't be too much of a problem. If we stay fast and sharp eyed obviously."

"Well, duh. And your going to be responsible for that."

"Chill out Ravyn. No need to get your feathers ruffled when there's no opposition."

Remus knew who was talking, but no clue as to what they were talking about. It sounded as though Ny and Ravyn were going flying, but there were no planes. _How could they possibly fly? _He thought. It finally hit him. _Brooms._ They were planning on stealing a pair of brooms and take a joy ride. Remus risked a glance up and saw them getting ready to leave as other students were entering. _They must be planning on doing some not allowed. Hope they don't get caught._ Remus was still brooding over this as his nose was suddenly saturated by the scent of icy, silver desire.

"Hello Sirius." Remus greeted without turning to look at him. Sirius sat down next to him looking disappointed. "What is it?" Remus asked turning his head to look at him.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I thought I could startle you. Then I would laugh it would wake me up so I don't to drink coffee and then have bad breath all day and make people pass out while talking them and then be expelled for harming the students and then get sent home where I will be further punished all because of you." Sirius completed this statement while reaching for the coffee and pouring himself a cup. Remus nodded while watching the two girls leave. Sirius followed Remus' eyes and spotted the two as they left the Hall. "Ah, already got yourself a girl, eh Remus?" Sirius asked with a sly smile.

Remus looked back at his food. "No Sirius. They're up to something. I know it."

"Whose up to what where, now?" James asked sitting down, pulling some bacon towards him.

"Well Sir James, Lord Remus has put forth the belief that Ladies Chrysaetos and Corvus are in the planning of horrid and heathen plots against the sacred student body and holy school grounds," explained Sirius with an air of royalty. Both Remus and James looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Let's just say the coffee did it to him. Best left alone I say," said James glancing at Sirius. He returned to his bacon and eggs. He took a bite then looked up at the other two. "Do you know what Ny and the other girl are planning?"

"Ny and Ravyn. No idea except that it has something to do with brooms and flying." Remus said before taking a sip of his orange juice. "Oh, look, owls." He stated calmly. The other two looked up one smiling the other glaring at one of the messengers.

A charcoal colored sooty owl landed in front of Sirius then took off leaving a plain envelope in its place. Remus saw a flash of fire in Sirius' eyes before he went to open it.

He had only made a small tear in the top when it seemed as though it had exploded.

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU BLOOD DEFILIER! JUST LETTING YOURSELF BE PUT IN GRIFFINDOR! YOU ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE A BLACK, A SLYTHERIN! WE REFUSE TO LET YOU DIRTY OUR HOUSE UNTIL YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST! MAY YOU FAIL, YOU FAMILY TRAITER!"

Sirius continued eating breakfast as though nothing had ever happened. A startled Remus looked up and saw something burn in Sirius' eyes. Something like… defiance. He got the feeling that this was not an unusual occurrence in Sirius' life.

"Wow mate. They sound pissed. All I got was a good luck letter and some advice about teachers," James said looking over at Sirius.

"Like I said. I'm born and raised Slytherin pureblood."

They went to their first class of the day, Defense Against the Darks Arts. The teacher was young, looking to be in her late twenties early thirties with loosely tied back dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Professor Rorret basically gave them an overview of what they would be learning over the year.

"Chapters 1 through 24 will hopefully be covered. That is 1 or 2 chapters a week depending on length and subject. I am expecting a lot out of this class. Especially since you are all either Gryffindors or my own House (Ravenclaws)."

After that short speech they dived right into the first chapter, _A Big Picture of Dark Arts & Defenses for Them. _Remus was extremely interested and finished it in the better part of the twenty minutes given to read it. He and most of the Ravenclaws were ready to move on to the discussion. Both Sirius and James were on the second to last pages when Rorret stood up to explain in more detail what they had just read. Peter was still struggling on the second.

"Any questions?" One girl raised her hand. "Yes Emily."

"It says here that most Dark Arts are concentrated in Northern Europe and Northeastern Asia, with patches in South America. Who practices Dark Arts in South America?" Professor Rorret nodded her head slowly contemplating.

"Well you see, most of them live in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Very few are considered great threats as most use familiars and use animal sacrifice in place of human. The Ministry obviously does not find that worthy of intervention, but I personally find it disgusting. Any others?"

Remus looked around and saw Ny with her hand up. "Yes Miss Chrysaetos."

"In your opinion, Professor Rorret, which Dark beast is most dangerous?"

Rorret looked puzzled. "Well Nyceta, if you consider animals that do not speak or understand humans I must say werewolves." Remus flinched slightly at this. "They are only dangerous to humans once a month, but still. The fact that there is no cure and they can spread the curse makes them extremely dangerous. However," Rorret's eyes gently landed on Remus before she looked back at Nyceta, "I do not believe that they are in need of extermination."

The rest of the class went smoothly with no more mention of werewolves or killings.

The class left with an assignment of an eight inch long essay describing Dark Art basics, familiars and Dark beasts, places of Dark Art existence and simple spells used against them.

The Gryffindors left the school and walked out onto the flowing slopes down to the lake. They stood waiting while the Slytherins joined them. Many glares were passed from side to side. Remus swore Sirius and James were about to jump Snape when the Professor walked own to them.

Professor Nrocinu looked down at all of his pupils. "Sit." He commanded. "This class will teach you how care for and deal with magical creatures. You will get hand on experience though I highly doubt any of you can deal with anything above a Flobberworm." He was looking down at the students with a chilly air of indifference. "YOU." He suddenly barked while pointing to Peter. "Tell me. What is the main diet of Flobberworms?" Peter looked scared and about to pee his pants or cry. "Speak!" The Professor almost yelled. Peter looked around desperately for some form of help. None was forth coming. He was forced to look back at the Professor.

"I… umm…I-I don't know sir." Professor Nrocinu looked coldly at the boy. "Then sit down." He whispered in a voice equally as frozen.

"YOU!" His glare turned to Remus. "Same question."

Remus looked boldly into the Professor's eyes. "The diet of the Flobberwoms consists of mainly lettuce and other low growing watery vegetation." Professor Nrocinu held his gaze then said, "Five points to Gryffindor. I suppose you all aren't completely useless. Open your books to page four and someone read out loud so the illiterate aren't completely in the dark."

By the end of the class they were all so tense that they jumped whenever anyone said the word 'you'. He had assigned them a foot long piece of parchment about the basics of magical beasts living in Europe.

Peter hung closer to the group now. At first it was because he needed Remus helping him then it turned more to idolizing James.

At lunch they were all so exhausted Sirius went up to the dorms for a nap. James was too lazy to go give him so me food. "Let him starve 'til he gets his fat ass down here and eat."

"Oh, be nice. Sirius is your friend after all. At least I'm feeding him." Remus said while grabbing a flask of pumpkin juice and some food. "Are you going to chew it and force it down his throat too or do you think he can handle that part?" James asked loudly, laughing as Remus left the table smiling and shaking his head.

Remus walked into the dormitory looking for Sirius and finding his curtains closed. "Sirius, I got you something." No response. "Hey Sirius. I brought food." Remus heard a shifting of sheets then saw Sirius fallout of bed and roll across the floor to his feet. Remus looked down smiling. "Get up sunshine and join me for lunch."

He started setting the things on his bed then sat down picking out stuff he wanted. Sirius picked himself up and plopped down opposite Remus and his eyes roved hungrily over the food. He was soon stuffing himself with everything in reach.

Remus glanced up and smiled. "If you choke don't expect any Heimlich maneuver from me." Sirius tried to talk. "Ow bo e pu er?" He swallowed and tried again. "How about CPR?" Remus raised an eyebrow. "No. Unless it was life threatening. No. I wouldn't."

They grabbed their books and headed up to the North Tower for Divination. As they waited more Gryffindors came, all looking nervously around for a room. When they were all there a silver ladder descended and all the students looked at it nervously. James was the first to go up, then peter. Sirius went next, Remus hesitated. He put hand on it. It was as though a very strong electric shock was going al the way up his arm. He cringed then put his other hand and climbed all the way up.

His nose was attacked with the heavy odors of the tower. Incense and old furniture along with boiling tea all fought for dominance.

"What's wrong Remus?" Sirius asked as the four of them sat around one of the tables.

"Just a little static shock. That's all." The other three looked at him strangely for a second before turning their attention to the Professor.

"My dears, welcome to the fine art of Divination. Though many of you strive to become Seers of the future, very few of you will succeed if you do not commit yourselves fully to the future. Now, we will begin by reading tea leaves."

All of the students obeyed Professor Trelawny's directions and now they were trying to decipher what the leaves were telling them.

"In your cup I see…umm" Sirius was struggling to figure out what was in Remus' cup. "It looks a lot like crap. You better eat some fiber Remus or you're going to be constipated tonight." They all burst out laughing but tried to pass it of as very bad cough before Trelawny came over. She gave them a scalding look before returning to the girls she was helping.

"Well now let's see what Sirius is up to." Remus rotated the cup looking for a symbol. "A mountain. An obstacle apparently. A pair of scissors, or a cross. That could either be family troubles or problems on the horizon. If I were you Sirius," Remus looked up at his partner, "I'd avoid drinking or eating incase they decide to poison you."

Sirius snorted "Wouldn't put it past them to do something like that. What about you Jamesie."

James glared at Sirius while Peter tried to explain. "Umm it looks like a lion, or kinda like a lizard. That could be good friends or hidden enemies."

"Well obviously that's us and then Snape. Like that was so hard." Scoffed Sirius. This was a waste of his time.

"Wait there's more!" Exclaimed Peter. "I see an ox, trouble with associates. We're going to have an argument."

"I highly doubt that. I just want to be done with this class." Sighed a very tired looking James.

They went down the ladder at the end of the class with a complete analysis of what their cup told them and what events those might be. Remus pulled the sleeves of his robe to cover his hands on the second trip.

The Gryffindors all stayed together as they headed to Charms. The short Professor Flitwick paired them all off to start off with a simple levitation charm. Remus was paired with Peter, who was having extreme difficulties with it.

"Don't be so sharp with your movements. It's more graceful, smoother. Let it flow this time." Peter tried again. His wand movements were worse. He levitated his feather. Straight through the ceiling of the classroom. The startled students looked down through the hole.

Flitwik rushed over to them. "No worries, no worries boys. Repairo. Now, don't move your wand so angrily Mr. Pettigrew."

Peter looked up glaring. "But it won't work. I can't make it levitate."

Flitwik looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "But, you did levitate it. Right through the ceiling." The rest of the class started laughing, but Peter looked hurt. "Now boy, no worries. I'm sure Mr. Lupin would be willing to help you." He looked to Remus for a response.

"O-of course I'd be willing to help." He was startled. A teacher was actually asking for his help knowing what he was? He must senile.

He left to inspect the work of two girls working nearby. Remus glanced at Sirius and James and saw the latter staring at one of the other students, very intently in fact. He looked for and saw the object of his attention. The girl was Lily Evans.

After leaving all of their books and thing in their dorm they went down to dinner. The selection was amazing. James decided to practice his levitation charm. Over the heads of the Slytherins.

He charmed the flask of pumpkin juice to hover just a couple of inches off of the Slytherin table. Nobody noticed. Then it went a little higher and started going towards one, Severus Snape.

"Fini." James whispered. The flask poured all over Snape and splashing some of the nearby students. Angry shouts were barely heard over the laughter from the other tables.

The boys all enjoyed themselves as they finished their meals then headed up to the dormitory to work. After a couple of hours they went to bed.

Peter changed first then closed the curtains around his bed. His snoring was intoxicating. It made all of their eyelids heavy. "Screw this." James muttered then also got ready for bed.

Soon, Sirius also sought the refuge of sleep. Remus stayed up a few more hours until all of his work was done. He blew out the remaining candles.

The near full moon watched him as he stripped of his school clothing. He did not bother to change in the bathroom. No one else was awake. He slid under his wonderfully warm covers and closed his eyes. As turned over, one lingering thought lulled him to the gray oblivion.

_Only two more days to the full moon._

_Authors Note: Thanks for reading. this chapter is dedicated to the one person who reveiwed. You Rock KawaiiTenshi27._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Ny, Ravyn, and a handful of other characters. there is one line in here taken from another book. the person who finds it and tells me the book it came from, the author of the book, and/or the series the book is in. good luck.

Warning: This is a yaoi fic, meaning; remi and siri may do it eventually. Let us all come together and pray that they do. Though if you really want to them do it (kinda)read my pair of one shots. Now go forth and read my little readers. Read!

Chapter 3

Remus woke up Saturday morning dreading the night. He feared that he would be discovered. He spent the majority of the day avoiding everybody, in the library. He was checking facts on his schoolwork even though he already knew they were correct. While he was on his fifth time over his star chart for Astronomy he heard someone come up behind him.

"Hello, James," Remus said trying to sound nonchalant, even though he heard his own voice waver.

"Hey Remus," he responded, "Why are you in here? Come outside with the rest of us. It's really warm, and we're convinced it's an Indian Summer."

Remus sighed. "Sorry James. I can't, I have too much to do here. Go out and enjoy yourself." He went back to reading a passage from his Astronomy book. James left slightly deflated.

He left the library to go to his dorm. Remus dropped off his stuff then gathered himself to go get an early dinner then to the Hospital Wing. He barely touched what he put on his plate. The wolf was continually rejecting whatever Remus put in his body. He had to force himself not to throw it up. Even though no one was there he would've been horribly embarrassed.

He got up just as other students were entering the Hall. He saw Peter, who waved at him. Remus waved back. He dragged his feet to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey was waiting. She looked down at the young student with pity written clearly on her features.

Remus tried to ignore it by looking around the Wing. It would soon become his second room here at Hogwarts.

Madam Pomfrey led him back to her office, but they didn't enter. She turned to the left and he saw a small narrow hallway that went down to the grounds.

He followed her nearly soundlessly. He could've been completely silent, but he didn't want to scare Pomfrey.

"Here," she said quietly, not looking at him. "Wear this." She handed him a cloak. Remus never thought he would ever see one in his sheltered life. An invisibility cloak.

"Are you sure I'm allowed to have this?" Remus asked slightly scared of the thing. He slowly reached his hand out to take it from her.

"Of course I'm sure. Dumbledore approved." She answered, a slight snip to her voice, but Remus attributed it to himself. Who wouldn't be stressed out on a full moon night with a werewolf nearby.

Remus struggled slightly to put on the large cloak that was at least three times too big for him. Maybe four.

"All right, let's go." They started off. Remus knew what she had been waiting for. He saw it too.

From they're position at the bottom of the Hospital Wing it was easy to see the Headmaster's tower. Dumbledore was up there. He could see the whole grounds and would illuminate his wand when the coast was clear.

Madame Pomfrey kept looking up at the tower. Even when they were safely to the tree she looked up every 5 or so seconds.

"Remus, watch Dumbledore's window. If you see a red light let me know _immediately._" Remus nodded and watched the tower. He thought he saw a red light, but dismissed it as the sun's reflection.

* * *

Remus was looking around his new home. He was standing in an old living room. He patted quietly to one of the doors that he saw on the first floor. 

He opened it. A couple of mothballs fell out and rolled across the floor, leaving little trails of slightly less dusty floor. It was an old closet. Apparently the former occupant of the house did not care enough to have the coats removed.

Most of them were animal fur, but he could smell one or to wool ones. He didn't count those as fur coats because the animal the wool was taken from still had their skin.

He walked over to what he assumed was the kitchen. The door was a rotating door, no locks, no way to stop an animal from entering. That was all for the down stairs, other than a doorless parlor, Remus headed up the rickety stairs to the second level.

Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, three closets, and one large library. Remus was so enchanted by it he was about to sit down and enjoy a good book. _No._ He mentally scolded himself. _You want this library so bad, then prove that you can lock it up so I can't get in._

He set down the book he had picked up and dragged all the furniture, except one comfy, worn down velvet and leather chair, to the door and piled it up so it would impossible to get in or out.

_Or out._

Remus smacked himself in the head. He had to get out so he wouldn't be able to get in. He pulled all the furniture away so he could just barely squeeze through the door. He used a spell with his wand to pull all the furniture tightly to the door. _Now you can't get in, _he proudly told his other half.

He went to the master bedroom making sure that all doors were open. He chose the master bedroom to change in because it had the only window facing the right direction.

He undressed and set his clothes high and out of reach of the wolf. Then he sat under the window and waited.

The moon light hit like a blow to the back of his head. He knew that it had been coming, he also knew what would happen next. Pain.

His back was curled then forced straight and stretched, so he was no longer able to walk upright. The vertebrate were popping and repositioning. He felt his thighbones shorten and his kneecaps broken in to fit better and to better force the bones to readjust.

His shins were pushed into his kneecaps to make up for the lengthening of his feet. The balls of his feet were squeezed tighter and the metatarsals were pinched together. His toes were slightly shortened but his nails were lengthened so they could grip the ground when he ran.

The lower back pains came sharp and strong. His tailbone was pulled out from under his lumbar and stretched, so it was loose enough to move around.

Remus heard his ribs cracking as they changed position to make his chest thinner. His shoulder blades tore the muscle connecting them to his back and became vertical. His heart was beating rapidly. Whether to pump more blood to his adjusting body or out of pain and fear, Remus never wanted enough to analyze his transformations.

Not much changed for his arms, his hands were another case. His fingers felt as though they were smashed into a wall and his thumbs were being pulled up his forearms. He screamed in pain, and terror. His nails were being made longer, though it felt as though they were being pulled out of his fingers.

A great strike was made to his head to make the neck vertebrate fit properly in his skull. His forehead was smashed in as his snout was being made. Hooks seemed to have been placed on either side of this lower jaw, in his upper jaw coming out just under the nose, and through the bone in his nose. All these hooks were being pulled as his ears were being pulled to the top of his head.

Skin was being torn from underneath his ears and pinched together on the top of his head. His ears became pointed and muscles connected with them so they could rotate. His hair became thicker and developed two layers. Finally the wolf howled to signal the end of another successful transformation.

* * *

While in the Forbidden Forest Ny's sharp ears picked up the cries of pain. She called to Ravyn to stop in a tree. 

"Did you hear that?" She asked slightly out of breath.

"No." Ravyn answered some what flatly with a bit of curiosity. "What did you hear?" She asked, the curiosity becoming more apparent in her voice.

"I don't know, it sounded like my…" Ny trailed off.

"Like what?"

"No one. I'm going to check it out. Stay behind me and keep a look out for danger. Call me if anything happens."

Ravyn nodded and they both took off. They flew above the trees. They made quick time with the wind at their backs. But Ravyn was thinking in the back of her mind how hard it was going to be to fight this wind going back to school.

A loud howl echoed out of the trees in front of them, slightly to their left. They simultaneously dove into the cover beneath them and grabbed hold of what branch in their reach. Both of them were heaving, scared out of their minds. Neither expected to have been this close to the source. That's what flying fast with the wind to your back does to you.

Ny turned and looked at Ravyn, both with wide eyes, and nodded, signaling that Ravyn was to stay here and be a look out. Ravyn perched on a good branch and nodded back, saying that she was comfortable. Ny took off leaving a gust of wind shaking the trees.

She got closer and slowed down using the trees as a windbreaker. She came upon a house, old and run down by the looks of it. With her hearing she could pick up sounds of something large and…four footed.

She flew closer and landed just out side a window peering in. No sooner had she spotted a wolf when it came in the room and leapt at the window. Teeth dripping with saliva and growling sounds were all she got before she fell to the ground.

The wolf had seen this and she could hear it bounding down stairs and attacking the door to the outside. She quickly got up and flew to the nearest shelter of trees and stayed there.

One thought was running through her mind as she sat there in shock. _He was right. My father was right._

Inside the wolf was fuming. It had just failed to capture its first prey. It made up for this by padding over to the closet and ripping out all the fur coats. He pushed his nose in to them and inhaled.

Mink, beaver, ferret, rabbit, and lynx. The wolf growled at that last scent. Lynxes were his worst enemies. He grabbed them all anyway and dragged them up to his den. And fashioned them into a makeshift bed. The wolf lay down, but was not tired enough to sleep. These new surroundings were ripe for exploration.

The top floor came first. Every room had a thorough sniff down. In one room so much dust had accumulated that the wolf sneezed, loudly. He quickly trotted away from that room.

Not much up here, except a room the wolf couldn't open. No matter how much he scratched, whined, or slammed into the door, it stayed closed. The wolf gave up and searched the down stairs.

After jumping over the furniture and around the living room a few hundred times, basking in his freedom from the tiny stone room he was used to, the wolf strode his way into the kitchen. He pushed against the door to see if it would open for him. He had pushed to hard and nearly fell on the kitchen floor.

He shakily stood up and turned to study the door as if it were an opponent. He sniffed it. Pushed it with his nose, then jumped back to see what would happen. The door gently swung back and forth a tiny amount.

His ears perked up. He looked to see if there was another door. There was, and it did the same thing. Tail wagging he ran through it then turned and ran through the parlor, then the living room then back through the door and into the kitchen, through the other door and into the parlor again.

After a few thousand tail wagging laps he settled down. The wolf could feel his energy draining. And trotted up the stairs to his den. The wolf turned a few times in his fur-lined bed then settled down. He couldn't wait to come back and explore more of the down stairs. His new home.

* * *

The full moon gently set as two shadows flew back to the school. The winds had been fierce whipping into their faces. Ny and Ravyn had taken turns as to who was leading and taking the brunt of the winds. 

They were from the north and chilling to the bone. Ny took more turns in front as she was better dressed for the cold gusts. They both reached the Ravenclaw tower just as the sun was showing his head.

Sneaking into bed after changing, Ravyn cast questioning glances toward Nyceta. She shook her head silently explaining that the questions and answers had to wait for breakfast. Ravyn huffed but settled into bed anyway.

Nyceta never got to sleep. Her mind was a mess. She silently reached into her nightstand's drawer and pulled out some parchment and some charcoal pencils.

She sketched out what she had seen. A nearly full-grown wolf. As she drew the eyes enlarged in the corner she saw something in them. Fear. And isolation. The same she saw in his eyes. Not just his, but the other's too. "My god," she whispered. "What is this? What happened?"

_A/N: Sorry!!!_ bows repeatedly _the end was not supposed to be focused on the girls, but it ended up that way. It was supposed to end on the wolf sleeping, but I didn't feel like it was good closure with the other characters. Sorry!!! I also apologize for the long wait. Thank you for staying with me, readers!!!_ Tah!-v


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Yes. I own Harry Potter and all branching merchandise. Yeah. That's why I killed off Sirius before he could jump Remus. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?! Of course I don't own Harry Potter, and if I did, screw teampotter and Voldemort. I would write just about the Marauder years. 

Warning: yaoi: yow-iii(noun) Japanese for man on man action. _Here:_ Remus and Sirius action. Not in this chapter, but eventually.

Thanks to my reviewers who I have not thanked yet. Let's see here 'checks list of reviews' a

PaddyWaddy: I know. Mysterious…..This chapter is a little more mysterious, but way more sad.

Lerene: first of all thanks for reviewing more than once.: ) and my favorite part was also the wolf and the door. it was cute!

Rekaneko: I can't believe you called it brilliant! You make me feel so happy I could die right now, but you'd probably kill me if I did, so I won't.

YonderB: thanks for lovin' the way I write Sirius and Remus. I think they might be a little out of character at the end of this chap so let me know if they are.

California smells funny: you get the award for Most Perceptive Reader. Check out the scientific names for some birds of prey. Ny's name is slight misspelling of Nyctea, but I had already published the first chapter when I found out my mistake. So much for research. But keep on the look out for more things like this. And I'll write you a personal fic if you figure out what all the common names are.

MasterLittle: I know! Isn't my writing AMAZING!!! Nice to know I rocked off your socks. I hope you find them. Sorry! I didn't know I spelled that wrong! Thanks so much for your review! bows

Chapter 4 

Sirius awoke slightly to the sound of someone looking through a trunk. He poked his head outside his curtains and could see a shape, vaguely looking like a human. Said shape straightened up and walked out of Sirius' line of sight.

He pulled himself into bed just as the door closed. _Remus must have left early again. Waking me up like that, the little morning bird bastard. _Sirius thought affectionately before turning over and going back to sleep.

* * *

"What the hell was that Nyceta?" Ravyn hissed as she walked up to the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall.

"I don't know," she responded, not looking up from her bowl of fruit.

"You bloody know well what it was."

Nyceta turned to look at her friend. Ravyn was seething. Breathing heavily and looking at Ny with fire in her eyes. Nyceta didn't have the energy to try and go up against her.

She sighed and dropped her gaze to the wooden bench. "I know what it was and so do you." Ravyn eyes widen a miniscule amount, but just enough to notice. The shock made her drop into her seat next to Ny.

"Who is it?"

"You know who. I don't know how Dumbledore got away with that with the parents. Even if he got all the partial birth parents to agree, there's no way the purebloods would have approved of his coming here."

"They didn't. No one here is supposed to know. Except the teachers. There's no way Dumbledore would ever hire one of his kind here."

Nyceta turned to look at Ravyn. She was staring off at the Gryffindor table, at the spot where he had sat for the past four mornings. He was late. By this time he would have walked in, gotten himself some oatmeal, and started eaves dropping on them whilst reading a book of some kind. Nyceta decided to bring her back.

"I had my suspicions, but I still wasn't sure. Even after my father told me." Ravyn looked over at Ny curiously. "He could smell it on him." This statement brought raised eyebrows from Ravyn. "Well he did!"

Ravyn gave no response. And went back to staring at where one, Remus Lupin, was absent from.

* * *

Remus awoke, bleary eyed and sneezed. _Well, I guess I didn't get rid of all that dust last night._ He chuckled softly to himself and did a once over on his body.

No major cuts, no blood loss, no horrible taste in his mouth, and no new injures. Overall last night was probably his best. He looked out the window to see light pouring in from the sun. It was still morning, he could make breakfast without anyone the wiser.

As he got out of bed he remembered he had left his clothes at the house. He looked around the curtained area around his bed, and spotted his uniform. "Wha..?"

"I went up to your dorm and grabbed some clothes from your trunk. I couldn't find where you had put them in the house. You can go back tonight if you wish to retrieve them."

Remus nodded to Madame Pomfrey as he came out of the curtains around his bed, fully clothed and smiling slightly. "Thank you."

She gently grabbed his jaw and turned his face side to side. "Well, you don't look to bad. A little ring underneath the eyes, but nothing too noticeable. Off you go."

Remus nodded and thanked her again and quickly strode outside of the Wing. Turning he headed for the Great Hall hoping to put some food in his aching stomach.

As he entered he smiled and laughed under his breath. Every time he thought he would be the first one to breakfast, those two Ravenclaws would be there before him.

He sat down at his place and picked up a large bowl of oatmeal and began spooning it into his own smaller bowl. He almost wanted to start humming and whistling and singing at the top of his lungs. That was, without a doubt, the best transformation he had ever had.

He settled for humming under his breath. It was a little tune his mother had taught him. He could feel eyes on him and he looked up. Ravyn was not looking at him, but above his head. He turned around and saw a large window. What looked like a flock of geese was flying across the sky, heading for warmer resting grounds.

Remus continued to hum until his happiness turned him to singing under his breath.

_"Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye _

_Four & twenty black birds baked in a pie_

_When the pie was open the birds began to sing,"_

"Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the King."

Remus looked up. Staring directly at him was Ravyn, a dark look was on her face. She stood quickly and turned on her heel, leaving Remus and Nyceta in the Great Hall.

"What was that all about?" Remus questioned looking concernedly at the only other diner. Ny was following Ravyn's darkening form as she quickly strode down the hallway. She turned to look at Remus then stood up and walked over to Remus and sat down opposite him.

"That song was famously sung by the Corvus. Then they got in a fight with another family. That family started singing that song in fun of the Corvus every time they killed one of them. To the Corvus now, for someone to sing it is considered a great insult or declaration of a fight."

Remus looked down at his half-eaten oatmeal. "Does she hate me now?"

"Probably not. I'll just have to go find her and smooth her feathers down."

He looked up at her strangely. "Why would you say that about her feathers? She doesn't have any."

"Don't you know the history of the Corvus?" Ny tilted her head in a bit of confusion. Remus shook his head. She sighed a little bit, but not out of exasperation. "Meet me in the library, I'm sure it has a book on them." And she took off after the disgruntled Ravyn.

* * *

Remus was still absentmindedly playing with his spoon in the oatmeal when Sirius and James came down to enjoy their first meal of the day.

"Hey there Remus, how's life?" Sirius said grinning widely as he gave Remus a good slap on the back.

Remus bolted upright in surprise. His eyes were wide and looking around frantically. James let out a loud laugh and sat down smiling next to the startled boy. "Crikey! Did you see that? That was the first time I've seen him jump Sirius," in the best Australian accent he could muster. Which was pretty sad.

"Ah yes, how rare it is to see the endangered species _Lupinus Remususus _show such behavior," said Sirius as he sat down on the other side of Remus, talking like an old narrator on animal programs.

He looked over at Sirius, a slight glare in his eyes. He did not appreciate the insinuation that he was a different species. "If you both are done playing Wild Kingdom, I have some research to do."

"Aww, come on Rem, we were only kidding." James pouted looking at Remus.

"Yes Remikins, it was only a little joke. Please don't take it that hard." He turned to look at Sirius, who was giving him a very poor imitation of a puppy dog.

"Can you at least stay until the mail arrives?" James looked on the brink of tears. Remus couldn't take it anymore.

"Fine I'll stay until then." He sighed as he relaxed back onto the bench.

"YEA!!!!"

Both James and Sirius cheered, all prior begging finished. One of the upper classmen looked over at them and muttered, "Bloody first years."

Remus put his head in his hands trying not to look as though he knew the two people he was sitting in-between. "Hey! There they are." James said as he shook Remus a little. He looked up, but saw no owl for him.

"Alright, I'm gone. I'll see you guys later." Remus stood up partially.

"No, no. Just wait a sec, I want to do something to that stupid owl." Sirius whined, as he tugged on Remus' sleeve trying to get him to sit back down. Remus sat down exasperatedly.

"Which one?" He asked, not really caring. _Just humor these two for a little longer then I can go do what I want. _

"That one." Sirius said shortly while pointing his finger at the owl. Remus followed his finger to a lone, white owl on the Ravenclaw table.

"Sirius, if you do, Ny's gonna kill you." Remus said glancing over at his friend with a warning eye.

"No she won't. She'll just get pissed for few days that I hit her precious bird,….Dick, or whatever his name is, then it'll blow over." Sirius explained as he took aim with a spoon of oatmeal.

"His name is Dic. The 'i' is pronounced like a hard 'e'." Remus tried to clarify.

"Oh, whatever." Sirius responded, as he let the oatmeal fly then ducked quickly under the table.

It hit Dic right in the back of the head. He whipped around and looked in their direction. Both James and Remus pointed down to where Sirius was crouched.

"Oh, you guys suck." Sirius hissed as he lifted his head to glare at them. The next thing he knew he was hit hard in the side of his head by something white and sharp.

"Ahhh!…..Ahhhh!…Get him off me! Get him OFF ME!!!"

Sirius speech was broken by Dic's screeching and hissing. James tried so hard to contain his laughter as Sirius, the owl headed twit, became the center of attention in the Great Hall. Some of the students were cheering him on as he dropped to the floor and started doing stop-drop-and-roll.

Most of the Slytherins and Ravenclaws, however, were strongly encouraging Dic.

Finally Sirius ran out of the Hall and Dic perched on Remus' shoulder and gave one last loud screech. The Great Hall rang with laughter at his exit, and hoots and catcalls could be heard.

A large brown package lay on the floor, disrupted by the fight. Remus found it hard to believe that Dic was able to fly with it. It was addressed to Nyceta Chrysaetos.

"Hey, James," he looked up, trying to keep a straight face after Sirius, "I'm going to find Ny, we'll probably be in the library." James nodded to show he understood. Remus walked out with the owl still firmly planted on his shoulder.

* * *

As he entered the library, he felt the warm silence wash over him. The librarian looked at the owl suspiciously, but Remus didn't try to explain why he was in there with a large bird on his person.

He found Ny searching through some shelves in the back. "Hi," he greeted with a slight question.

Ny gave didn't look over, but gave a distracted "hm" as a response. She finally found what she was looking for, grabbed it, and turned to leave the shelf but nearly ran into Remus. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there."

He raised his eyebrow slightly, but offered up no comment. She walked past him and gave him a look to follow her. And he did so.

She sat down on a bay window seat that bent around so Ny could sit on it like a couch and Remus still had plenty of room to sit also. He handed her the package and she gave him the book '_Family Names and Histories'_. "Look in the index for 'Corvus'. It should be near the beginning." Remus nodded and went right to it.

Once he found what he was looking for he glanced over at Ny to see what she was doing. She had opened the package only to find some rabbit and squirrel furs and numerous empty vials with a needle taped to one of them.

"What are those for?" He asked as she began tearing the furs into smaller swatches.

"My father needs some new toys." Remus looked confused, but decided no to push the matter, and started reading.

_"That song Sing a Song of Sixpence was, for a very long time, the (what one may call it) family anthem of the Corvus. Every generation would have that song sung to them as young children, then sing it to their offspring. That was until there became a small war between the Corvus and the Ossifragus clan. The Ossifragus began to sing that song as mockery to the Corvus after killing one of their family. To the Corvus, the singing of it is considered a great insult or a declaration of a fight. _

_Sing a Song of Sixpence, a Pocket full of Rye _

_Four & Twenty Black Birds baked in a Pie._

_When the Pie was open the Birds began to Sing,_

_Wasn't that a Dainty Dish to set before the King._

_The King was in His Counting-House, counting out His Money._

_The Queen was in the Parlour, eating Bread & Honey._

_The Maid was in the Garden, hanging out the Clothes._

_There came a Little Dicky-Bird, and Pecked off her Nose._

_The Corvus claimed that sing as theirs, as it originally came from their clan. It was written because every one of them was able to turn into a black bird."_

Remus closed the book, and looked over at Ny with wide eyes. She smiled lightly and nodded at him answering his unvoiced question. _Birds? _

"Remus." He jumped for the second time that day and cursed himself for that. He looked to find Sirius. Dic screeched loudly and went for Sirius' head again. But he was prepared this time. He reached out his hand and was able to grab Dic's feet just above the talons.

He held the bird out at arm's length and put the other hand proudly on his hip and laughed superiorly. "Who's the better animal now birdie?" He asked tauntingly.

Dic answered by driving his beak into Sirius' hand, between the thumb and first finger bones.

He yelped loudly and released the bird. "AHHHH!!!" He began hopping from one foot to the other shaking his hand.

"Sirius! Sirius, stop it! You're getting blood everywhere!!!" Remus tried to yell over his roommate's squeals of pain and Dic's deafening screeches.

Remus finally grabbed Sirius' uninjured hand and dragged him out of the library earning both of them sharp glares from the librarian.

He continued dragging Sirius all the way to the Hospital Wing. His cries of pain brought Madame Pomfrey out of her office like a mother duck swimming over to one of her hurt ducklings.

"I can handle this, Madame Pomfrey. I just need a first aid kit," Remus stated as he pulled Sirius next to him showing her the wound. She nodded and went to get one. "Sit down Sirius." Remus said looking at him very seriously, leaving no room for argument.

Sirius sat down as Pomfrey came back with the kit. Remus thanked her and pulled a chair over, so he could sit on it. "Give me your hand."

"Wow you move quick! Let me know when you're going to jump me!"

"Sirius," Remus was feeling sick because of the blood scent and had no mood to deal with Sirius' jokes. He looked at Sirius very sternly and stuck out his hand, telling Sirius to do the same.

He complied reluctantly and winced as Remus began to clean it.

The alluring scent began to waft up to Remus and he could barely stop himself from biting the hand. It was hard enough now. Doing this before the full wouldn't have been possible.

_Clean, Disinfect, Dress. Clean, Disinfect, Dress. _Remus repeated the small mantra in his mind. _Clean, Disinfect, Dress. Clean disin_- "Remus?"

He glanced up at his patient to show that he was listening. "I'm sorry. For you having to do this. James just said you would probably in the library and I wanted to talk to you." Remus looked up at Sirius again, but held his eyes showing that he could talk now.

"Well," Sirius looked away, felling uncomfortable under the steady gaze of his doctor. "I just feel- I mean, _we_ James and I feel like you aren't one of us."

"One of you?" Remus raised an eyebrow slightly curious. "What does 'one of us' entail?"

"Ummm… that you're part of the group. James and I conspire together and Peter hangs on James. You just don't seem to be with us. You're on the edge."

Remus' anger flared out. "What are you talking about?! I'm not on the edge! I'm as far off it as I can be! I don't want to be one of you! Do you know what you did this Saturday?" Sirius looked as though wanting to interject, but Remus kept going.

"You spent in detention for God knows what! I don't want to be 'one of you'! I don't even want to be around you!!!" Remus was standing and his chest was heaving.

Sirius looked like a little kid who had just gotten scolded for the first time in his life. His head was down and his shoes were swinging and gently hitting each other. "I'm sorry. I guess I got over excited about the prospect of having friends at a new school. It's just that I want to be able to call you my friend without having to question whether or not you think the same of me."

Remus looked down with a sigh, and stared at the top of Sirius' head. "Sirius," he looked up. "I'm sorry, I can't call you my friend." He turned and walked out of the Wing.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing potter-y. except the books. Actually, scratch that, the books are my sister's. so my opening statement was correct. 

Warning: Two dudes are eventually going to do it in here, not this chapter, so if you don't approve I'm surprised you've read this far because it was in the summary and at the beginning of every chapter, and if you haven't read those warnings and stopped right there why in God's name would I be expecting to read this one. Screw it. You know what, if you don't understand "SxR" or "man on man action" Screw you! You deserve to be surprised and disgusted. To all others who ARE looking for man on man action, I hope you enjoy. (The author and all editors and associates would like to reiderate that stated 'man on man' will not occur in this, or any previous chapters. Sorry for the inconvient rant, and please enjoy.)

Thanks to:

Lerene: here's your clue: James get hurt. Thank you for reviewing.

Krazi Kelli: weird twist? Thanks! I like putting the characters through pain. I never really believed in the whole fantasy world of - Sirius-Wanna be friends? Remus-Sure! Both-hahaha(running through a field of flowers)

Rekaneko: and they will, in this chapter.

PaddyWaddy: You're right, poor siri. Again, love to torture characters. Btw, just read 'Dead' that was weird, but good!

LadyAnalyn: because Sirius and James are obnoxious and get into detention. Remus does not want to be associated with that crowd. And about Ny's dad, ummm…maybe he is, maybe isn't. and yes I did say that and everytime I reread a chapter I bang my head against the wall cursing my self for having her still be there. I just need some outside characters for siri and rem to interact with. But I know they are getting over used, but hold on with me here, those two will play an important part for rem and Siri. Btw there is not hide nor hair of either in this chapter. Wow this is a really long review.

Chapter 5 

Sirius watched him go then looked down at his bandaged hand. Remus hadn't finished dressing it, but Sirius didn't fix it. He just stared at it wishing he could force his feet to go follow Remus.

Sirius figured Remus had gone back to the library, not wanting to see anyone for a while. Sirius automatically headed towards the dorms, replaying the conversation in his head.

_"I don't want to be 'one of you'! I don't even want to be around you!!!"_

Sirius blindly walked down a hallway, whispering under his breath. "What the hell Remus? What the hell?"

_"I'm sorry. I guess I got over excited about the prospect of having friends at a new school. It's just that I want to be able to call you my friend without having to question whether or not you think the same of me."_

"_I'm sorry, I can't call you my friend."_

"WHAT THE HELL REMUS?!?" Sirius screamed and punched a tapestry. He heard his knuckles crack and pain seared up his arm. He felt what seemed like a door behind it and opened it with his good hand.

It led to a completely plain darkened room with scattered candles throughout. Perfect for sulking and hiding in for a few hours. This is what Sirius needed now.

He had never had friends and now eagerly threw himself into whatever relationship he could find.

James had been suspicious of him at first, but then accepted him after they had a truce not to attack each other. Peter had come along with James after that. He thought Remus would willingly fill out their circle, but he hadn't.

_"I'm sorry, I can't call you my friend."_

What had he done wrong? What had his parents done that had made him an outcast?

_You are not the outcast. You are a Black. Blacks are always surrounded by friends. Loyal friends who will not betray you. He will betray you. He will leave you for the rats, the scum he has been raised by._

Get out my mind…

_He will give your weakness to the enemy. He will abandon you to die._

Get out of my mind.

_Destroy him first. _

Get out of my mind!

_Make the first move. Kill him. _

"Get out of my mind."

It'll be so easy. Disgustingly easy. Pillow over his head. 

"Get out of my mind!"

_Poison in his breakfast. Strangle him with his sheets._

"Get out of my mind!!!"

_Or, better yet, do it with your bare hands. Put your fingers around his thin neck and place your thumbs on either side of his trachea and squeeze your thumbs together slowly. Enjoy every second. As his eyes open in surprise. He stares at you for a moment, then realizes he's being killed. Feel his pulse quicken under you finger tips. He starts to hit you with his arms and legs, but you, a Black, are unfazed and just continue to close his airway. _

_The hazel irises dart from side to side looking a weapon to attack you with, but you, as a Black, have already anticipated this and removed any object that could remotely disturb you in your peace of watching him die. _

_He finally looks you in the eye. The fear. The rawness of it is exhilarating. But the fear fades as you feel fingers touch on either side of his throat. His eyes do not dull, but become peaceful. He has accepted he is dying. His head turns away from you and you know he is dead. You, the Black, have destroyed your betrayer. You lean down and whisper into the corpse's ear. "See you in Hell…"_

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!"

Sirius finally came to his senses as he felt something warm trickle down his forehead and drip off his nose. His breaths ragged and strained. His head never felt worse in his life. He lifted it to stare at the wall. From the candlelight he could see something dark and liquid slowly falling down the stone wall. It was then that he realized the he had been banging his head against it.

Relieved that the voice had left him, he rested his forehead on the wall and turned to get a better look at the room he was in. He saw a bed with the curtains partially open. There was someone in there. As he got a better look at it he saw a pale face and eyes staring out at him. Hazel eyes.

Sirius screamed and ran to the wall he had come in from but found no door handle to leave with. He turned to reassure himself that what he saw was still there, but there was nothing.

No bed, no curtains, no dead Remus staring out at him.

* * *

As James sat down to dinner his only company was Peter. He looked around hoping to spot Sirius or Remus, but with no reward. He quickly finished his meal, but it was difficult as his stomach kept dropping with fear. When Sirius had come to him earlier asking about Remus he figured the two were going to talk about the whole friendship thing. Now, since neither of them was there, James had a feeling that their talk had gone very, very wrong.

He stood up and left Peter, in hopes of finding one of the two of them and getting a clarification of what had transpired between the two.

He searched the entire castle with no results. He combed the library, 'til he knew it better than any research driven seventh year.

It was 8 o'clock when he finally decided to retire to the Common Room. He went up to the dorm room to find the last essay he had to finish. He opened the door to find Remus' bed to be the only one with the curtains closed. He could hear quiet breathing. He was tempted to go over, wake him up, and question him, but decided to leave him be. He padded back down stairs, carrying his books, and got to working on his essay.

"Umm, James?" He looked up to see Peter nervously holding a book and some pieces of parchment.

"Yes, Peter?"

"Well, what's wrong with Remus? And where's Sirius?" He asked piteously as he sat down on James' right.

"I don't know. I've decided not to ask him, and Sirius is God knows where," James muttered as he turned pages violently looking for an answer he knew wasn't in the book.

He hated this. He hated not knowing what was going on. He hated not knowing where Remus was last night, he hated not knowing where Sirius was now, and most of all, he hated not knowing what Sirius had done to screw up the plan to get Remus to join them.

James was lying in bed, unable to get to sleep. Loud snores were resounding around the room thanks to Peter. James couldn't hear Remus' breaths, but he knew he was asleep. He figured it was around three in the morning when he heard someone stagger into the dorm room. James heard the bed creak slightly as Sirius fell onto it.

He just sat there for a few minutes trying to structure the lecture he was going to give Sirius, but his mind was not too forthcoming with any organized way to tell Sirius off.

"Screw it," he muttered as he slid out of bed and strode over to Sirius'. He whipped open the curtain, not making much noise. But he gasped so loudly, he figured it mast have even woken up Peter.

Staring blankly back at him was a gray eyed, bloody-headed, mess. His hair was the most unruly James had ever seen it. His forehead was partially covered with dry blood, but some was still oozing down over the bridge of his nose and both cheeks.

The sight of his mangled best friend's face threw him off his train of thought, but not much so that he couldn't form words. "You idiot. I don't know what you did, but I am going to find out tomorrow." He hissed as he closed the curtains with a quiet 'whip'.

* * *

The entire next day James saw neither hide nor hair from Sirius. James checked Sirius' bed when he got up, but it looked like no one had even slept in it. He attended all of his classes with Remus, but he may as well not have. Remus kept as far away from him and Peter as he could. In charms he sat on the complete other side of the room.

And in potions he willingly paired with a Slytherin, just to keep from getting paired with someone next to them. "James, who is that guy next to Remus?" Peter whispered under his breath. He glanced over to see Peter was talking about. He knew that hooked nose and hair from the Sorting, thanks to Sirius. _No! _He chided himself, _not thanks to Sirius. Thanks only to him that Remus has to sit by that git._

"James?" Peter asked again, wondering if he had not heard him the first time.

"It's Severus Snape," James muttered. As he skimmed over his potions book trying to find what to put in next. _'Add three tablespoons of Newt Eye, then stir for two and a half minutes.' _He was just about to tell Peter this, but as he opened his mouth his partner dumped in three cups of newt tail.

The only thing the class heard before the explosion was "No! Peter! Don't-" The whole class was laughing. Remus held in his laughter, but couldn't stop his shoulders from shaking. His partner was chuckling as he looked over the cauldron.

Remus was taken aback, he had never heard Severus laugh before. It was weird. It wasn't the evil maniacal laughter his dorm mates thought it was. It was smoother, and relaxed. Severus must have felt Remus' eyes on him and looked over.

"Well that's a surprise." He murmured. Remus looked at him in confusion. "I never thought you would laugh at your friends."

Remus' faced darkened, "they are not my friends. They are just my room mates." And he turned back to read his notes. Severus raised his eyebrows but said nothing more. The rest of the class went on uneventfully and they dispersed to go to lunch.

Remus quickly scarfed down some food then bolted out the Great Hall to the court yard, but James was right on his tail. Remus was stepping lightly and walking as briskly as he could with out breaking into an all out run. James, on the other hand, was running catch up. When he got close enough to Remus he somewhat gently pushed him into a wall.

"What is your problem?!?"

Remus glared back in defiance. "What's yours?"

James punched the wall by Remus' head. "Don't give my this crap Remus! What the Hell happened between you and Sirius?!?"

Remus hadn't even flinched. He had been expecting this confrontation. "Why don't you go ask him?" He made to go past James, put he pushed Remus back into the wall, harder.

"Why? Because I don't know what happened to him? I don't even know where he freaking is!!!" He started shaking Remus slightly and digging in his fingernails.

Remus looked up at him and hissed at him, "let me go, James."

But he didn't. "You know what you did to him!!! I'm going to return the favor!!!" He pulled back his fist, aiming for Remus' face. Remus grabbed the arm that was keeping him against the wall and the shoulder at the same time. He stepped forward and flipped James onto his back.

With the wind knocked out of him, he couldn't get up. Remus was about to walk away, but this is how he had left Sirius. And since even James didn't know where he was, Remus reconsidered his exit. He bent down and whispered, "this is why we are not friends. Pass it on to him." And then departed.

By this time, James had managed to sit up on his side. It was then that he noticed that there was an audience to the fight. He struggled slightly to get up, but quickly left the courtyard's curious eyes. He fled away to the dorm and then to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

In the classroom Remus didn't look at them. When time came to practice the disarming spell, James didn't even bother hoping he would just come over, apologize, and agree to get along. Instead Remus strode over to a Ravenclaw boy, who looked relieved to have a partner.

James and Peter began to test each other. James decently successful, Peter decently horrid. He kept glancing back to see how Remus was doing, but kept having to correct Peter. Just when he had finished going over how to hold the wand with Peter for the 3rd time, a loud crash was heard from the back.

Remus had, apparently, successfully, disarmed his partner. With the same spell, Remus also managed to throw him back 10 feet into the wall. After a split second, a second spell was cast, that threw Remus into the wall. Professor Rorret was not pleased at all.

"Gryffindor minus ten points!" A student next to her snickered, probably the one that cast the spell against Remus. "Ten points from Ravenclaw!" The Professor hissed just a vehemently. "Now get back to work."

Divination wasn't much better. After climbing up the ladder Remus made a beeline for Lily Evans. She looked surprised, but made no sign of rejection. The entire time James was wondering if Sirius was even alive. The 'conversation' he had with Sirius last night might have just been a hallucination. It wasn't even a conversation; it was mostly him yelling a Sirius.

James was getting so irritated he was considering chucking the teacup at the wall. He began laughing under his breath at the idea of having to explain that because the tea was more spread out on the wall, he could see the pictures better. _Hey, it's cheaper than glasses.

* * *

_

After dinner Remus went up to the library hoping to get some down time away from people. He managed to escape every person, except one.

Sirius.

He was sitting there looking out the window watching something over the forest. He hadn't seen Remus yet so he was able to back track and hide a couple of isles over. His mind began racing.

_Why didn't I smell him? Is he a hallucination? Where did all of those cuts come from? Did he get in a fight? Did James beat him up? Maybe it was because he thinks Sirius insulted me or something. James could probably take him. Must've slammed Sirius' head against a wall a few times. _

He was interrupted from his thoughts by Sirius poking his head around the corner. "What do you want?" Remus asked rather fiercely. Sirius looked somewhat hurt.

"I could hear you pacing, you were mumbling," Sirius answered not looking him in the eye. "I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for trying to force you to be friends with me. I'll just leave you alone from now on. I'm sure I could move in with a second or third year dorm."

He just seemed so dejected, so lifeless. Remus was trying to understand what could've happened in the last 24 hours that stole so much energy from Sirius. Remus was convinced it was himself, so as Sirius turned to leave he stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"You don't have to leave the dorm and, you can still talk to me." Neither could make eye contact, both not used to having 'friends' if you could call them that. With the akward making up conversation over Remus was able to observe his friend closer.

Remus noticed that Sirius was trying to keep his right hand out of sight. He reached out for it but Sirius pulled it away.

"Sirius," Remus stated sternly. He knew he wouldn't get away from the hazel-eyed boy, so Sirius held out his hand limply. He grabbed it and Sirius' wince of pain did not go unnoticed.

Remus looked at it slightly disapproving. It looked as thought it hadn't been touched since he had half wrapped it hours ago. As he started fixing it he heard Sirius almost whimpering. He looked up and saw his eyes watering with tears.

"Move your fingers," Remus commanded. Sirius shook his head. "Do it."

"I can't, I've already tried." He looked scared and started to breathe unevenly.

Remus studied the hand a little bit more and realized that he must've dislocated the finger joints. "Sirius, you've really screwed up your hand. I can fix it, but it's going to hurt like Hell." He nodded and Remus got into position.

He took Sirius' right arm under his own then placed his left hand on Remus' upper arm. "When it starts to hurt just grab my arm."

"What do you mean 'whe-"

Before he could finish his question Remus popped the pinky back into place. Sirius refused to let a sound come from his mouth, but he clenched his hand on Remus' arm. "Next one."

Sirius' knuckles had turned white from grabbing Remus so hard. When he touched the middle finger to fix it Sirius dropped his head on Remus' shoulder and bit into his robes. By the time the middle finger was in, he was breathing so hard on Remus' neck he was having trouble trying to relocate the index finger.

When the whole ordeal was over Sirius was still breathing heavily down Remus' neck as he finished wrapping the hand. He tried to turn around, but Sirius' left hand and snaked its way over to Remus' right arm and was effectively keeping him there.

Remus just stood there, enjoying the scent of ice's desire. He hadn't realized how much he missed the smell. All to soon Sirius raised his head, turned Remus around, and looked him in the eye.

"Thanks," Sirius whispered quietly, then walked out of the library and out of Remus' sight and scent.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I have a quick question before I go into this. Why do we have to diclaim each chapter? Wouldn't one in the first chapter suffice? Well, whatever. Anyway! Onto the disclaiming!I don't own Harry Potter or Evanescence(you will see lyrics here, and sadly they are not mine) that should do it. 

Warning: This is a yaoi fic meaning(that if you really are an idiot) there will be mano a mano action. Just not yet.

Thanks to:

PaddyWaddy: cute? Well, if you think so. I guess that part at the end is a little cute. - And I just had to add that little voice inside Sirius' head for myself. You'll see a little bit more of his darker self in this chap.

Lerene: I'm trying to keep them coming, but it's so hard what with nonexisistant schoolwork and all

Rekaneko: I didn't want to deprive you so I gave you a bit more of James' temper in this chapter too. And I'm really happy you liked Sirius' insanity too. I just have a little weird thing that makes me need to torture my characters. -v

Chapter 6 

It had been about two months since Remus had settled things with Sirius. The fight with James on the other hand, left a bit of tension between the two.

"Can you believe it? Time has just flown, the Halloween Dance is in less than a week," James was saying as he lay on his stomach on Sirius' bed. Remus was sharing his bed with Peter.

"I know. How can all these girls resist this body? Maybe they all have the hots for each other." Sirius was laying on his back next to James moving the dust in the air around with his wand.

"Sirius! Of course we're not going to be asked! We're first years. No one wants to go out with us." Remus responded indignantly over the book he was reading.

"Well of course we're not going to be asked with that kind of attitude!" Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius' remark.

"What if we crash their party?" Everyone turned to look at James. "I mean we could sort of be there, do a few tricks, make an appearance-"

"Scare the crap out of everyone! Brilliant idea James! Let's do it!" Sirius interrupted. It didn't take long for the group to agree to a loose plan.

Some of the teachers started noticing a little trend with four first year boys. Anytime they had no classes or others obligations they would sneak into an unused classroom and not come out until they had to. Professor Rorret had the bad luck of being curios enough to find out what they were doing.

Rorret was walking down the hallway when she heard chaotic noises that sounded somewhat like moving furniture. She always hated the two weeks before and after a dance. She had already busted eight couples either kissing, making out, and one pair was actually half-naked on their way to a homerun. Her response was simply, "Go do that in your dorm rooms! That's what curtains and silencing spells are for!"

Expecting the same here she opened to door ready to tell of a rowdy couple to wait one bloody week to the dance, but instead she saw the four first year boys practicing spells with open books strewn about them. "What the bloody Hell are you boys doing in here?"

They all looked at one another. Sirius was the first to speak up, he had mastered lying to adults a long time ago. "We were just working on spells. You know, for the tests on the Friday before the dance. Remus here was helping us." He pulled Remus up next to him by the shoulders to emphasize his point.

Professor Rorret had been lied to enough times to know when students weren't telling the truth, but she was so relieved they weren't having a massive orgy, she didn't give a damn about what they were really doing. "Sure, whatever, just don't hurt each other." She said, waving her hand as she turned and left. The door closed behind her.

James made sure they got back into stride. "Ok now, the spells are well on their way, now we just need sound effects. Peter!" He jumped. "Give us your best growl."

"grrr," Peter tried his best but the effect was minimal at best.

"No offense Pete," Sirius commented, lounging on one of the classroom chairs next to Remus, "That sounded like a mouse with rabies. Better luck next time." Peter's shoulders slumped a bit. "NEXT! James your turn."

"Graawl!" James put in his all, but it sounded too human and pathetic.

"LOSER!!! BOO!"

"Fine Sirius! You go!" James shouted losing his temper.

"But Remus has to go first, we're going in alphabetical order," he whined pitifully. Remus was about to open his mouth saying that if they were going in alphabetical order James would have gone before Peter, then thought better of it. He stood up and closed eyes.. He pictured his wolf counterpart standing tall in the Forbidden Forest silhouetted by the full moon.

Remus let forth a wondrous howl followed by guttural growls and animalistic snorts. He opened his eyes to see his friends with their eyes wide with either fear or amazement. Sirius was the first to speak, shout actually. "That's our Hitler!" The other two turned to look at him with disgusted or disbelieving faces. "What? You guys are so not aware of the wonders of American Broadway."

They decided to ignore him and work on recording Remus' sounds for the big event.

The Halloween Dance was going as smoothly as could be hoped. Two frogs had been planted in the punch bowls and were found by one very startled fifth year Hufflepuff and the other by an unsuspecting third year Gryffindor. "Last year there was a massive exodus of garter snakes into the Hall. It wasn't hard to figure out which House did it. Quite entertaining," muttered one teacher to another. The band, invasivE Evisavni, was playing they're ninth song of the night.

"Should I let you fall, lose it all 

_So maybe you can remember your self_

_Can't keep believing, we're only deceiving_

_Ourselves and I'm sick of the lie_

_And you're too late."_

The four boys were hidden well above the crowd on a wide ledge that rested right above the top of the windows and went the entire perimeter around the Great Hall. They were well covered behind one of the huge gargoyles that perched on the outcropping.

"We wait until the chorus of their tenth song and then we set loose our little friends." Sirius whispered looking over the Hall and its inhabitants with an expression of sheer excitement. However, there was a certain look in his eye that held a darker origin.

"Um, Sirius? They aren't going to be that small are they?" James questioned.

"Well, let's ask Remus. How big are they going to be?"

Remus closed his trying to remember how large he had planned them. "About two to three times bigger than the average."

Sirius returned his gaze downward, "perfect."

"Wait a second! Why the tenth song?" James was letting his nervousness out in the form of questions.

"The lyrics suit the show better." Sirius responded seeing where all the teachers were located.

"How do you know?" Sirius turned to stare at James with a very exasperated look.

"Because the one of the organizers told me what songs they were playing." James tilted his head and Sirius decided to answer the unasked question.

"He had no problem telling me as long as, and I'm quoting here, 'you show those bloody gits a good time for not caring enough to help out. I don't give a damn what you do , just make it good.' He also said that if he was questioned by the teachers he was going to give up my name in a heartbeat."

"Are you kidding me?!?" Remus hissed angrily at him.

James interrupted Sirius' answer with yet another question. "But how did you know how to get up here?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Ask Pete. He snooped around a bit and found this passage way." He looked over at Remus to reassure him. "Don't worry, I'll take the fall." Sirius glanced away as the ninth song faded out and the tenth began.

"_Long lost words, whisper slowly, to me.  
Still can't find what keeps me here.  
When all this time I've been so hollow, inside."_

Sirius nodded. The time was now.

As the chorus began all the candles went out and the Great Hall was thrown into complete darkness. James' part was first. Giant firework-like explosions went off high above the crowd. invasivE Evisavni continued to play, making the display all the more exciting. Sirius took over from there.

"_Watching me,  
Wanting me,  
I can feel you hunt me down.  
Fearing you,  
Loving you,  
I know I'll find you somehow."_

Fog began seeping out from under table and beneath the stage Evisavni was playing on. It didn't take long for the entire floor to be covered. The students couldn't even see their own feet, the fog was so thick. This led to little, if any, panic.

Remus was the main component in the plan. He whispered quietly to his wand. His contribution was the most expected by the others. This was their first time seeing the final product of Remus' hours in solitude.

The students by the tables and statues were the first to hear the growling, and their yells quickly made everyone else aware of the sounds. Great black dogs soon came out of the shadows behind gargoyles, slinking from under tables, and crouching, hidden by statues. One of them jumped up on the stage and released a grand howl that rang around the room, amplified by the design of the Hall.

"_Haunting you, I can smell you, alive  
Your heart pounding in my head"_

The rest of the wolves began snarling, and snapping their long jaws that filled with long, needle thin, black, blood covered teeth. The students all thought the dark creatures were either Grims or rabid wolves. Their screams were easily heard from above, by the four boys. Sirius was enjoying himself, but kept a wary eye on the teachers. Dumbledore seemed the only one not heavily concerned about the change of events at the Dance.

"_Wanting me,  
Watching me,  
I won't let you hunt me down.  
Deceiving me,  
Raping me,  
Watching me."_

The teachers began roaming the floor trying to get the students to calm down, which was no easy task when most of the teachers were half frozen in fear. Some of them were searching above the ledge with their eyes. Trying to see if there was anyone up there. The boys had to leave soon.

"Peter, time to put the final touches on." Sirius said looking over at him. Peter nodded and unleashed the final spell.

"_Watching me,  
Haunting me,  
I can feel you hunt me down."  
_

A huge hoard of giant black bats circled over head, just below where the boys were hidden. The bats would occasionally dive down in to the crowd just missing a student's head. The screams were monumental. There was no chance of controlling the chaos that ensued.

Tables were overturned in the desperate attempt of some of the students trying to get to the main doors. Chairs were thrown at windows trying to escape that way, yet the band continued on.

"_Fearing you,  
Loving you,  
I won't let you hunt me down."_

This was the cover they needed to slip out unnoticed. They ran as well as they could crouching, so they wouldn't fall off. They practically flew all the way back to their dorm room. It was a miracle in itself that they weren't found by Filch, or anyone else.

The four perpetrators each collapsed on their own bed, gasping for breath. It was nearly ten minutes before any of them had the energy to speak. Remus was the first to recover.

"How the Hell did we manage to pull that off?"

Sirius pulled himself to the foot of his bed so he could get a better look at his roommates as he spoke. "We haven't." The rest of the boys looked at him curiously. They had pulled it off. The whole thing had gone off without a hitch. Sirius laughed a bit at their expressions. "We haven't pulled it off until the teachers have the person who did it."

James also moved his torso to the foot of his bed so he could give Sirius a better look of absolute suspicion. "What are you talking about Sirius? You said you were going to take the fall."

"Notice how I didn't say I wasn't going to take the rest of you down with me." Remus' face filled with terror. His eyes actually began to water, but no tears fell. He was about to admonish Sirius, but James beat him to the chase.

"You bloody asshole!" James actually got off of his bed and began stalking over to Sirius. "You told us you were going to take the blame! We trusted you! And now you've just decided to change your mind?!? You Bloody Asshole!!!" He went up and punched Sirius in the face, forcing him out of his bed and onto the floor.

Sirius didn't get off the floor but sat up crossing his knees in front of him incase James decided to kick him for good measure. "Think about it, there's no way the teachers are going to believe it was just me! They're going to know I had accomplices!"

James started pacing the pathway that ran in the middle of the four beds, letting Sirius reasoning seep in. "Fine, I'm willing to go down with you, they'll just assume Peter worked with us. They won't be too hard on him, but," James turned to face Sirius making sure to hold his eye contact. "In no way are we going to mention Remus. He has a clean record and we're not going to get him a detention. He had nothing to do with it. As far as we know, he was…he was in the library studying."

They all nodded in agreement. Remus was deeply touched and felt a bit sorry for flipping James on his back that one time. But just a bit. James helped Sirius to his feet, but as he pulled Sirius to his chest he hissed in his ear, "don't you dare give up Remus!" The two released hands and Sirius looked up at James with a little smirk.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

James nodded to him and headed over to his own bed. He fell into it and curled up in the covers. The others followed his lead and went to bed themselves. It had been a long night and they were not looking forward to the morning.

It didn't take long for the events of the Halloween Dance to circulate to every student in the entire school by breakfast the next morning. Dumbledore stood up and the loud buzzing immediately stopped and all eyes turned to him.

"As I'm sure you are all well aware, a very interesting Halloween Dance occurred last night. Don't worry, the guilty party," he turned to look at the Gryffindor table, "or parties will be found and punished accordingly. Thank you."

The Hall remained nearly silent as many students saw Filch walk up to Dumbledore clutching a piece of parchment very close to his chest. When he reached Dumbledore he gave it to him very delicately, as if the parchment was going to dissinigrate if handled too roughly. Dumbledore took the parchment and held it out so he could read it.

A small smile graced he features before he spoke, "will Sirius Black please report to my office after breakfast. And Sirius, " he took his eyes of the parchment to look Sirius in the eye before continuing, "I'd appreciate it if you kindly brought any friends that helped you, to accompany you, to my office. Thank you."

With that Dumbledore handed the parchment back to Filch and turned to leave the Hall.

All eyes turned to Sirius. He began to sink a little bit in his chair, his shoulder length hair hiding his face somewhat. The silence was broken by some sixth and seventh years. Of couple seventh year guys actually walked over to where Sirius was sitting and asked him if he was actually the one who figured out all that magic. He nodded a little, happily taking all the credit for the caper.

As more and more people began either congratulating him on a job well done or asking him how he did it, Remus was getting more and more noticeable annoyed. He reached his breaking point when one of the third years asked him for an autograph. Sirius was about to ask for a quill when Remus stood up and told the crowd that Sirius had to go talk to Dumbledore.

Even as he was pushing Sirius to the door in between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables Sirius was continuing to get high fives and hollars. He was getting all into it, blowing kisses to the crowd and doing the Queen wave, and fake crying, like he won Miss America or something. When the doors finally closed Remus rounded on Sirius.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?!?" He had Sirius against the wall with a hand on each side of shoulders.

"What? What did I do? They're the ones treating me like a hero! Go yell at them!" Sirius was heavily offended by Remus outburst.

"What do you think is going to happen? Sure you'll be a hero for a few weeks, but then they'll go back and treat you like crap! And those are the ones that think what you did was cool! What about the dance that you ruined for all those people who actually wanted to dance?"

Sirius was taken aback at that. "The dance I ruined for all those girls, you mean!"

"That doesn't change the fact you ruined it for them!" Remus spat fiercely in his face

"Who gives a crap about them anyway?!?" Sirius spat back just as harsh.

"I DO!!!" Remus practically screamed in his face. Sirius said nothing back. He faced the floor staring hard, willing it to open up and swallow him whole so he could avoid Remus' burning stare.

"That's not what this about." He whispered not looking up.

Remus wasn't sure he heard him right. "What?"

Sirius pulled his head and had it cocked to the side looking down his nose at Remus. "You could've stopped us at anytime you wanted. You chose not to. Coward."

Remus kept looking up at Sirius with a puzzled and insulted look. "What did you just call me? You have no idea what Hell I've been through to be able to go to this school." He hissed.

Sirius' eyes grew bright and darkened at the same time as he smirked, filing that comment back away to bring up another time. "I may not know that, but I do know what this is really about. You're aching to let them know who it was that really did everything. Who really knew the magic."

Remus had pulled his arms down by his sides as he let himself be backed into the other side of the hallway by Sirius. "Too bad you're scared of getting detention. Looks like I'll get all the credit and you'll just stay in the background letting us use you like a common whore. Teaching us how to do spells and not get caught. Thanks a ton Remmikins!"

Sirius had been expecting Remus' slap, and that helped make it sting less. Sirius' superior smile stayed right on his face. "Well gotta go rat out James and Pete to the big, bad Headmaster. See ya round Remsy!" He walked away leaving Remus to slide to the floor pulling his knees to his chest and hiding his face in his hands. He willed himself not to let the tears fall, but he had never heard Sirius talk like that ever before, and it hurt even more because he had talked that way to Remus.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: god this is getting old… I'm running out ideas on how to make this funny! O my god! What am I going to do!!! Ahhh! Run away! Run away! 'how about you just do it the simple way?' of course! Why didn't I thin k of that?!? Thank you little muse who I will now call 'tired logic'! I do not own Harry Potter, no matter how much I threaten people… how was that? Tired Logic: could've run with it without the threats. You could get sued for that. Warning: Sirius is at some point going to jump Remus. Or vice versa. It doesn't matter. If this kind of relationship is not what you're into, you can comfortably read the next 5,6,7,8,9,maybe 14 chapters. THEN THE FUN BEGINS!!! TL: we have to wait that long? Fine! I'll try to throw in some smutty oneshot sometime… 

Thanks to:

Rekaneko: I don't know why I do it, but I love to torture Remus and make Sirius an asshole. I do like my prank too. I basically pulled it out of my ass spur of the moment writing. You know? And my characterization of Sirius is just, 'what do I think he would do now?' no great thing, like I've written his entire history and I know exactly how he would act psycologically(which my comp is telling me I can't even spell right… god I need a beta…). I am very happy that you have reviewed for almost every single chapter. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!

MagicalWinry: OK! I DID! ARE YOU HAPPIER NOW?!? 

PaddyWaddy: Thank you for reviewing practically all of my chapters no matter how erratic my updating schedule. I guess it's a good sign if I'm able to make you hate your favourite character. That or it's really, really bad… whichever. I just can't help but make Sirius a total asshole. I'm sorry.

Suicidal Bubbles: Please don't! He's acting like that because…because...(quick! make some shit up!) He's been abused!(whatever, good enough for me!)

Chapter 7 

Sirius strode promptly to the Headmaster's office after his encounter with Remus. He was proud of himself. He had taken Remus' slap like a man. He hadn't responded with violence, only with dignity. Dignity meaning he had acted like it never happened. Not acknowledging things that hurt you, makes you all the more powerful. Remus was so very weak.

The door that led to the Headmaster's staircase was left open, so Sirius just stepped calmly onto the moving staircase. When he stood, facing Dumbledore's door, he felt cold, as though his confidence was draining out of him. He forced his hand to knock, but the action just felt like he was trying to jolt himself out of a nightmare.

The Headmaster kindly answered, "come in." Sirius opened the door and walked in unfazed, as though it was normal for him to be entering the Headmaster's domain.

Dumbledore was seated at his desk with his long fingers loosely woven, and elbows resting on the smooth reflective surface. Across from him were four chairs, as if he was expecting more company than just Sirius. He sat down roughly on one of the middle chairs. With his arms crossed, he stared defiantly at Dumbledore as though he had done nothing to be ashamed of.

"Did you like my show?"

Dumbledore smiled a bit. "I quite enjoyed it." It wasn't the exact reaction Sirius had been expecting. Something more like _"What the Hell were you thinking you worthless son of a bitch?!?"_ was what he had become accustomed to.

"Aren't you pissed that I destroyed school property? What I did was against that stupid school rule!"

Dumbledore continued to smile as he surveyed his student. "You did not directly destroy school property. And it really wasn't much of a hassle to fix. And, between you and me, I don't really punish people who break 'that stupid school rule'." Sirius didn't know how to respond. He wanted to anger Dumbledore, get yelled at. He knew how to manipulate angry people, but this calm 'you've done nothing wrong' demeanor was new and uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat slightly.

Seeing no verbal response from Sirius, Dumbledore went on. "But there's one thing I'm wondering about, how could you have learned all that magic in less than a week? It must have been quite a large amount of wor-"

"James helped me." Sirius interrupted Dumbledore, hoping to provoke him, his father hated to be interrupted by his ungrateful son. "James and Peter." _But not…not…_

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in surprise, but did not scold Sirius. He merely questioned him further. "Are you sure it was just you three? Was not Remus also a part of it?"

_REMUS! _Sirius' eyes widened as he finally remembered who was not allowed to be included. _Wasn't I just talking to him a few minutes ago? _"No. He didn't help us at all. He just stayed in the library studying."

"Really? Because Professor Rorret told me that she had just recently seen all four of you in an unused classroom practicing spells and such. Other teachers also claim to have seen you four run off to go hide somewhere for hours on end…"

Dumbledore continued talking about other accounts of teachers sighting them as he pulled out a piece of parchment that had some notes on it. _What did I say to him? _Their conversation was coming back in trickles._ He was yelling at me about how I was acting… 'Sure you'll be a hero for a few weeks, but then they'll go back and treat you like crap!' No they won't. They love me! No one can hate a Black!_

"Professor McGonagall saw Remus and James go into the last room on the right in the Sirnef Wing on the fourth floor." _'Who gives a crap about them anyway?!?' 'I DO!!!' 'You'll just stay in the background letting us use you like a common whore. Teaching us how to do spells and not get caught. Thanks a ton Remmikins!' _ "Came back later to see you and Peter enter the same room… there's more here-"

"I need to see Remus, Professor." Sirius had pulled his head up and was staring at Dumbledore determinedly.

"Very well. I'll just tell Professor Flitwick to send up James Potter and Peter Pettigrew well I'm at it." He gracefully wrote down the names and gave it to the owl that was perched near him. The owl took it and effortlessly glided out the open window on a cool morning breeze.

"While we are waiting, how about a little game." Sirius glanced up at Dumbledore to see if he was serious, which is never easy with the Headmaster. "I'll ask you a question which you must answer truthfully, and you then do the same to me. It's quite fun!"

Sirius was no longer in a confrontational mood so he simply asked, "who goes first?"

"Well if you don't want to I guess I will."

"How do you know whether or not I want to go first?"

"You didn't fight for it, claim it when you had the chance. You only fight for things you really want. Now, what is the one thing you want for Christmas?"

Sirius continued to stare at the ground trying to think of something he wanted, but vague enough that it wouldn't give Dumbledore the upper hand. He smiled as he thought of an answer the Headmaster would approve of. "Something new, something I've never gotten before." Dumbledore nodded, smiling lightly. Sirius racked his brain trying to come up with an embarrassing question, but decided to ask a question he was sure every student wanted to ask Dumbledore.

"How old are you?"

Dumbledore let go a good belly laugh before he looked back at Sirius to answer his question. "Older than you."

Sirius felt ripped off. "That's not an answer!"

"Yes it is, it's truthful too. Now," Sirius fell back into his chair and pouted. "How's your relationship with your father?" At that Sirius' eyes went wide and he stared up at the Headmaster.

They narrowed after a second as he spat out his response. "Oh, why we're bestest buddies. Whenever we go walking down the street, arm in arm, people always turn and say, 'there goes Mr. Black and his son! Happy as ever, those two must be! If only our relationship with our children was a great as those two!'" Dumbledore seemed pleased with that answer as he nodded at Sirius to ask his question. He was fuming at this point, he wanted Dumbledore to recognize his pain and anger. He couldn't hold it in and yelled his question at the smiling Headmaster. "What about you? How's you relationship with your father?!?"

"Well he quite dead now, so we don't get a chance to talk much, but as a child we never saw eye to eye all the time. Sure we had our disagreements, but it never turned violent. Now Sirius, I ask this out of courtesy, but please refrain from restating my questions back to me. It's less fun when you don't come up with your own questions. Remember that first question you asked me? That was a fun question! Where were we? Ah, yes. How are you handling that voice of yours?"

Sirius started and jumped out of his chair. "How the Hell did you know about that?!?"

Dumbledore just smiled down at Sirius, when a knock was heard at the door. "Professor?" It was James' voice.

"Come in." Dumbledore slid right back into his headmaster mindset. Sirius slowly backed down into his chair. The door opened revealing James, Peter, and slumped behind him was Remus.

James covered the distance between him and Sirius in next to no time flat. He sat in the chair right next to him, sitting straight and proud, as if Sirius had done nothing he wasn't fully supporting him on. Peter sat in the seat next to James leaving Remus to take the other chair next to Sirius. When he seated himself he curled slightly in the side of the chair farthest from Sirius and shot him a look of hurt and betrayal. Sirius turned towards him a bit and whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "Remus, I'm sorry…"

"So!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together excitedly. He was now in the mental state of a curious and excited child. "How did you all manage it? I have never seen such bright first year students." James was the first to answer him.

"Sir, Professor if I may," the headmaster nodded. "I have no idea why Remus is here, but entire fiasco was controlled by us three. Peter took care of the fireworks, I did the fog and the bats, and Sirius manipulated the wolves. Remus was in the dorm or the library for all we knew."

Dumbledore rested his chin lightly on his crisscrossed fingers and smiled. "I'll answer you're question first James Potter. Remus is here simply because Sirius requested his presence." All of the boys' heads turned to look at Sirius. James looked about ready to punch him, again. Remus looked confused and hurt, but a little curious. And Peter looked at him with a wondering expression.

"Now it seems like you all have a lot to talk about. There is no punishment for what you've done, this time. You are allowed to go." That was faster than any of them could've hoped. They all stood up and headed for the door. "And boys," they stopped and turned around, "I can't wait to see what you'll think up for the Christmas Ball. You have a full two months." His eyes twinkled merrily at the thought of what they might do. Remus was the one to give a response.

"I don't think we will sir. There's not really something scary about a herd of rabid reindeer." They left too quickly to hear Dumbledore laugh and whisper under his breath.

"We shall see young pup. We shall see…"

They had just gotten down the stairs when James pushed Sirius into the opposite wall. "What did you need to tell Remus?"

"Nothing that concerns you." Sirius responded stoically as he went up and rubbed his right shoulder, he was pretty sure he heard something crack when he hit the wall.

James was about to continue his rant, but Remus beat him. He turned his back and walked away. "I have no interest in anything he wants to say to me." James and Peter took off after him after a quick glance back at Sirius leaning against the wall for support, holding his unmoving arm.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Peter piped up when they caught up to him.

Remus' eyes stayed forward, but narrowed slightly. "Just a taste of his own medicine." He said coldly. Peter shrunk back a bit at his tone and Remus turned to look at him. He gave a weak smile. "Don't worry Pete, it has nothing to do with you guys."

James looked relieved. "Thank goodness. He was weirding me out back there. I just hope you two get this settled before the Christmas Ball. You heard Dumbledore, we have to do something amazing!"

Remus laughed a little. "Got anything in mind, cause I'm fresh out of ideas."

"How about this! We tie up all the Slytherins and have them pull our sleigh, while we all dress up as Santas and chuck presents at the crowd!" James explained excitedly. They all began laughing at the imagery. "We put antlers on them!" "Oh! Oh! And little tails!" "And one of them has to have a glowing red nose!" "We curse them to sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in unison!" "But they have to be out of tune!" They broke down into laughing fits leaning on each other for support.

They cursed their bad luck in timing, because the class they were late for was Potions, with the Slytherins.

The walked in about ten minutes late, everyone had already gone into pairs. Peter immediately latched onto James and they walked to their cauldron. "How lucky for you Remus!" Professor Slughorn announced. "You can be partners with Severus here." Remus walked slowly over to where Snape was working. It wasn't that he didn't want to work with him, it was just that, after his conversation with James and Peter the last thing he needed to see was Snape with a red nose.

Remus stood next to him trying to figure out where he was in the potion without asking. _He's adding half a tablespoon of some kind of dried, flaky, dark green stuff._ He looked up at the potion. _He must be adding the Merkelp._

"Need any help?" Snape glanced over at him then went back to concentrating on the cauldron beneath him.

"As long as you're doing nothing productive, go mince and measure out the cilrag." Remus spotted where he was supposed to go just as Snape was about to point it out to him.

"Nice to see you're not an idiot." Remus looked over at him curiously. "I told you to mince the cilrag, but you diced it like the potion says." He pointed to the cilrag on the cutting board.

Remus thought he had minced it, but then again after that kitchen disaster on Mother's Day a few years back, he had never been allowed back in the kitchen unless he was supervised.

Just as Remus was about to 'mince' the rest of the cilrag, James walked past them whistling 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' under his breath. Remus bit his lip to keep from laughing, but ended up hunched over the cilrag, shaking. "Very funny Potter! Glad to have provided some release for your immaturity!" He glared down at Remus, who looked back, trying to keep a straight face, but it came out a little contorted.

"I'm sorry, it's just that we were trying to think of what we could do for the Christmas Ball."

"Oi! You boys over there! No fighting with deadly potions in arms reach! Settle this like the little wizards you are and go out back and have a farting contest or what ever it is that you kids do nowadays." The entire class broke out into laughter at Professor Slughorn's comment.

James walked back the other way, this time upgrading to lyrics. "Won't you drive my sleigh tonight…" Snape cast him the coldest glare Remus had ever seen.

"I have fall allergies. All those pine trees out there releasing pollen, it's Hell for me. Let me guess, you three are the guilty ones behind the Great Halloween Scare."

"Wow. It has a title already?" Snape cast him an 'I am not amused' glare. James and Sirius must've been rubbing off on him. "Sorry, yeah it was us. I taught them the magic, and they took care of everything else, except the wolves, that was mine." Snape looked impressed.

"I guess there's more to you than meets the eye."

"What?"

"Nothing, just hand me the cilrag."

During lunch Remus, James, and Peter were all sitting in a group talking. Peter was just describing the miracle of the birth of his pet cockroach when Remus realized he hadn't seen Sirius since the fight. "Where is he?" The other two looked up surprised, no idea what he was talking about. James was the first to catch on.

"Sirius? You got me. He just is the kind of guy who loves to sulk. He did this too after your guys' first fight. The one where his forehead got all bashed up." Remus felt a little guilty at hearing that. Sirius had to have done that to himself, but there must've been something serious going on in his head to have done that to himself. Remus said the first appropriate thing that came into his head.

"It's healing nicely, I haven't really noticed it lately."

James scoffed a bit. "But he's still the center of the gossip circle right now. That combined with the Halloween episode has kept him pretty interesting to the rest of the student population."

Remus looked down at his food feeling a little dejected. "I wonder if everyone is ever going to find out that we did it too."

"I could tell them right now." James made to jump onto the table but Remus got a firm grip on his collar and forced him back down.

"Not on your life James Potter."

When they finished they left their dirty dishes and went to grab their books for the next class. Remus led the small band with James and Peter talking behind him. As they reached the entrance James became aware of the fact that Remus had stopped dead in his tracks. Standing in front of them was Sirius.

James huffed, grabbed Remus' wrist, and started walking away, decidedly looked anywhere, but at Sirius. Peter trotted along behind them. As he passed Remus gave Sirius a little smile and a wave, "bye."

"Yeah, bye." He answered not taking his eyes off the floor in front of him.

Sirius didn't join them for Defense Against the Dark Arts or Divination. Remus thankfully didn't have to work with anyone in D.A.D.A., but in Divination he partnered up with James leaving Peter to fend for himself. They had started working with crystal balls, and that just made making fun in the class all the funnier.

"I see…I see…" It was Remus' turn to try and crack the crystal ball's code. "It looks like a dark figure. It's not getting clearer. It looks to be holding something. Maybe you're going to be visited by a mysterious midget with a secret message. Oh wait. It's just a smudge on the glass."

James burst out laughing, pounding his hand on the table. Remus looked rightfully embarrassed as he cleaned of the smudge with the sleeve of his robe. The class ignored James' outburst, but Professor Trelawney didn't.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for that very unnecessary raucous." Remus was about to protest when James opened his mouth first.

"Professor, he just spent the last five minutes staring at the ball describing a smudge on it. We just realized it now." She continued to glare down at them.

"No matter. Five then." The class looked relieved.

"My turn Remus." The rest of the class was fairly uneventful except for one girl who learned she was going to be killed in the next week by a flock of rabid owls.

Remus was getting very concerned over Sirius by the time dinner came around. He couldn't stand it anymore and piled some food on a plate, grabbed some water, and headed to the Gryffindor Tower. "Oi! Remus!" He turned around, it was James. "Don't tell me you're going to feed that traitor!"

Remus looked confused. "How is he a traitor? I didn't get punished." He walked away, not waiting for James' retort.

"Sirius?" Remus walked into the dorm. All of the curtains around his bed were open and Remus could see him laying there, staring at the ceiling. "I brought food." He said hopefully. He walked over to Sirius cautiously. He set the tray of food on the trunk at the foot of Sirius' bed. "Are you ok? How's your shoulder?"

"Bad." Remus sat on the side bed by the bad shoulder. He quietly told him to relax, and put the appendage back in place. He hadn't said a word or made of pain during the entire thing. Sirius looked over at him and blinked a few times.

"Remus, am I a bad person?" he asked him weakly. Remus looked confused. He sat on the bed cross-legged between Sirius' legs. He pulled himself up so he could look a Remus in the eye better. He repeated his question. "Am I a bad person?"

"What do you mean? As long as you haven't killed anyone I don't think you're a bad person." That answer did not seem to satisfy Sirius.

"Then why didn't you want to talk to me today?" Now he tried looking anywhere but at Remus.

"I didn't want to talk to you because you worried me." Sirius glanced at him with wide eyes before looking away again. "I thought you had told Dumbledore what we had done."

"But we didn't get punished. You were still angry with me. You walked away with out even hearing me out." Remus was the one to look away this time.

"It was because of those things you said earlier."

Sirius felt all the energy draining out of him. He knew this would come up eventually. He had just been really hoping it wouldn't be so soon. "Why did you say them?" He looked back up at Remus. He could see the hurt and confusion in them.

How was he supposed to answer?_ Well, you see Remus I have voices in my head that tell me what to do, and sometimes I black out and say things I don't mean. Yeah, that'll go over well. _"Sirius?" Remus looked at him worriedly.

"Remus, I need you to trust me when I say that there is a reason, but I just can't tell you yet. I need you to wait until I get it under control." Remus looked incredulously at him.

"How can I trust you when you said you wouldn't give my name away to Dumbledore, but there I am getting called down to his office?" He was mad, Sirius could tell, because he had never felt this bad about hurting anyone. Remus had no qualms over expressing how he felt to other people.

"I swear to you there is a reason!" Sirius was getting desperate. "I just need you to-"

"To what? Wait? How do think I feel? Being dragged along whichever way feeds your fancy! One minute you say these horrible things and call me a whore, then the next you _need_ to talk to me! I'm sick of it!" Remus had raised his voice to a painful level. It woke something deep inside Sirius. Something that woven itself into every fiber of his being.

"What about you?!? You won't look me in the eye! You say what I have to say is unimportant, and then you're bringing me food wanting to make up! I'm not the only one giving mixed messages!"

The silence after the yells was deafening. Neither wanted to provoke the other.

Sirius finally fell exhausted into Remus. He was so tired of getting into fights. "I'm sorry, I'm just begging you, please wait." He was able to feel some much needed relief as Remus put his arms around him. And whispered into his ear.

"Okay, I'll wait."


End file.
